Agnes Morrison

Agnes Morrison or Agnes Brysson Inglis Morrison; Nancy Morrison; Christine Strathern (24 December 1903 – 27 February 1986) was a Scottish writer. She wrote biographies, novels and some romantic fiction. Known for writing about Scottish history and for focusing on those usually lost to history.

Life Morrison was born in Glasgow in 1903 to Arthur Mackie Morrison, engineer, son of a Glasgow baillie, and Agnes Brysson Morrison CBE, née Inglis. Her mother invented the idea of a "Flag Day" - this is not a Flag Day in the American meaning of the phrase, but a day set aside to gather funds for worthy causes when each contributor is given a small paper flag to wear as evidence of their gift. Several of Morrison's siblings were authors too.

Morrison's first book was"Breakers, published under the androgynous name "N. Brysson Morrison".

Her third book was her most popular. The Gowk Storm told the life of three sisters with the youngest as the narrator. The Gowk Storm (1933) was a Book Society Choice. It sold well and was adapted for the radio.

Morrison also secretly wrote popular romantic fiction under the name "Christine Strathern". This was kept so secret that the link was not discovered until 30 years after her death.

Her 1949 novel The Winnowing Years won the first Frederick Niven Award.

In 1971 Rick Wakeman bought a copy of The Private Life of Henry VIII by N. Brysson Morrison. Wakeman credits the book with inspiring his album The Six Wives of Henry VIII.

Morrison wrote several biographies, novels and some romantic fiction. She was known for writing about Scottish history and for focusing on those usually lost to history.

She died of cancer in St Mary's Hospital, London, on 27 February 1986. Her ashes are buried in her sister's grave in Ballater, Scotland.