The cover of the second novel of Muriel Gray "Furnace" that was published in 1996 and continued the theme of supernatural menace. This novel was immensely influenced by M.R. James. "I did it deliberately as an homage to M.R.James who was a massive influence on me, he was just one of the most skillful and beautiful writers of peripheral horror", - said Muriel Gray in the interview to Paul Kane.
The cover of the third Gray's novel 'The Ancient" published in 2000. The book appeared to be a grotesque and scary tale of a cargo ship which is like a floating house of horrors, carrying as it does a crew of sailors with their own secret demons and a monster. Muriel Gray commented on "The Ancient" : "Well, I hope it's disgusting, I tried to make it disgusting. But was it scary enough?"
The cover of "The First Fifty: Munro - bagging Without a Beard" - a non-fiction book published in 1991. This book incorporates all of Muriel Gray's mountaineering experiences in the highest hills of Scotland - the Munro.
Winning at Work: Breaking Free of Personal Traps to Find Success in the New Workplace
(The comtemporary workplace is filled with traps but none ...)
The comtemporary workplace is filled with traps but none more dangerous than those we set for ourselves. With compelling precision this book shows how even the most effective among us can undermine our careers by falling into our own private traps.
Muriel Gray is an author, broadcaster and businesswoman. Gray became familar as the post-punk presenter of a range of television programs, including The Media Show. Known for her strongly held views Gray writes regularly for various newspapers.
Background
Ethnicity:
Born in East Kilbride, Gray is of partly Jewish ancestry. She presented a documentary in 1996 for Channel 4 tracing her Jewish roots on her mother's side, entitled 'The Wondering Jew', where she discovered her maternal line descended from Moldova.
Muriel Gray was born on August 30, 1958 in East Kilbride, East Renfrewshire, United Kingdom.
She worked as a professional illustrator and then as assistant head of design in the National Museum of Antiquities in Edinburgh.
After playing in punk band, The Family Von Trapp, she became an interviewer on the early Channel 4 alternative pop show The Tube from 1982, presented Frocks on the Box and The Media Show for the same channel. She was briefly a DJ for Edinburgh's Radio Forth in 1983 and 1984. She was a regular stand-in presenter on BBC Radio 1 during most of the eighties, including for John Peel. She also presented regularly on BBC Radio 4, for Start the Week in Russell Harty's absence and also during Jeremy Paxman's leave.
Later she presented The Munro Show. She also presented various other TV shows like Ride On, a motoring magazine show for Channel 4, The Design Awards, for BBC, and The Booker Prize awards for Channel 4.
Gray presented Art Is Dead – Long Live TV. This programme sparked a controversy when it was discovered that the series, covering the work of five artists, was a spoof. Gray presented the definitive documentary on The Glasgow Boys, a group of influential 19th-century painters, including Sir John Lavery and James Guthrie.
Gray co-presented Channel 4's coverage of 2016 Turner Prize ceremony in Glasgow.
Muriel Gray became an atheist after the accident with her daughter
Views
"Now I feel I'm not finished yet, I have lots more to say".
"Denial is essential. Otherwise you'd go mad".
"I've never had the ambition to get ahead - what does that mean: "get ahead"? Fame for fame's sake, I don't understand that at all, it disgust me. But I feel the urge to create things, to make things".
"Maybe happiness is a state of contentment, with peaks and troughs. One of the phrases that for me sums up what I mean by happiness - this sounds hopelessly old-fashioned - is the successful fulfillment of duty. Not self-gratification, and that "listen to me, I'm so special" thing. No, happiness because you've fulfilled your duty to your husband, your children, your friends, your family".
Interests
Charity:
Muriel Gray is a patron of the Craighalbert Centre, a conductive education school in Cumbernauld Glasgow. She is a Patron of the Scottish charity Trees for Life (Scotland) which is working to restore the Caledonian Forest.
She currently serves as a trustee on the following boards: The Glasgow Science Centre, The Scottish Maritime Museum, The Lighthouse, The Children's Parliament. In January 2009 she became the first patron of Scotland's Additional Support Needs Mediation Forum, RESOLVE:ASL.
Writers
Stephen King,
M.R.James : “Casting the Runes”, “Lost Hearts”, “The Mezzotint”, “The Ash Tree”.
Music & Bands
punk (Muriel used to play in punk band "The Family Von Trapp")
Connections
She is married to television producer Hamish Barbour and they have three children. In 1997 their daughter nearly drowned in a garden pond, which left her permanently brain damaged.
In 1995 the first Muriel Gray's novel "The Trickster" was shortlisted for the British Fantasy Society Best Novel prize.
In 1995 the first Muriel Gray's novel "The Trickster" was shortlisted for the British Fantasy Society Best Novel prize.
Scottish Press Award,
Scotland
In 2001 Muriel Gray became the best in the category "Columnist of the year". This award is given for the three best articles written by a columnist in any print or online newspaper or magazine during the year.
In 2001 Muriel Gray became the best in the category "Columnist of the year". This award is given for the three best articles written by a columnist in any print or online newspaper or magazine during the year.