ACCLAIMED British artist Emily Maguire will stop in Barnoldswick as part of a tour across the UK in 2018.

Emily, a singer, songwriter, composer, poet and multi-instrumentalist, will perform at Barnoldswick Music and Arts Centre on Thursday, June 21. The concert starts at 8pm.

Classically trained as a child on piano, cello, flute and recorder, Emily taught herself guitar aged 21 when she found herself stuck at home with fibromyalgia pain syndrome.

“I started writing songs and the illness suddenly became a complete blessing in disguise as I had all this time on my hands to write,” she said.

Back on her feet again and fed up with grey skies and concrete, Emily gave up her flat in London for a shack made out of recycled wood, tin and potato sacks on a goat farm in the Australian bush.

Together with Aussie bass player and producer Christian Dunham, she financed her first two albums by making and selling goats cheese.

“Living in the shack was one of the happiest times of my life. And despite being a terrible cook, I was actually a very good cheesemaker,” she said.

Emily and Christian returned from Australia in 2007 to tour with American legend Don McLean, playing all the major UK concert halls including the Royal Albert Hall.

Her third album Believe, released in 2009, received regular airplay on Radio 2 and won rave reviews in the music press.

Emily hid her struggles with bipolar disorder until she published her first book, Start Over Again.

Launched on Radio 2 on World Mental Health Day in 2010, it generated a huge response from listeners moved by Emily’s openness and willingness to share her experiences of psychosis and depression.

In 2014 an intensive tour of Germany triggered chronic tennis elbow in Emily’s arms, leaving her unable to play her instruments for 18 months. Devastated, she suffered depression that lasted a year.

In 2017, recovered again, Emily released her fifth album A Bit Of Blue to critical acclaim in the music press.

Together with Christian, Emily has been touring again. She has done many gigs in mental health hospitals and is a patron of the UK mental health charity Restore.

Just back from recording in Australia for her sixth album, will be touring the UK from February to July, including the gig in Barnoldswick on June 21.

To book tickets, ring 01282 813374 or 07712 628366 or visit emilymaguire.com