Poet Liz Lochhead recognised with a lifetime achievement award

Poet and playwright Liz Lochhead, who championed the Scots language for decades, has been recognised with a lifetime achievement award. Born in Motherwell in 1947, the former Scots Makar, began to write while studying at the Glasgow School of Art and her first book of poetry was publishing in 1972, selling 5,000 copies and winning…

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Book review: Private Matters

Scottish journalist Mairi Fraser spent nearly 15 years on the front line of Fleet Street’s urban jungle. But her new book Private Matters is her first attempt at writing without a news editor bearing down. The novel follows the complexities of a British boarding school, revealing an intricate web of relationships, challenging the usual traditions.…

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Shortlist for Scotland’s National Book Awards announced

The shortlist for Scotland’s National Book Awards has been announced, featuring books on climate change, the importance of male friendships and King James VI. The Saltire Society awards recognise work across six literary categories, from fiction to research, history and poetry. The winners each receive a cash prize of £2,000 and go on to be considered…

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Winner of the Anne Brown Essay Prize for Scotland announced

The 2023 Anne Brown Essay Prize for Scotland has been awarded to author Rodge Glass. The £1,500 prize, established in 2021 by the family of the late BBC Scotland journalist and Wigtown Festival Company chair Anne Brown, celebrates the best literary essay by a Scottish writer.  Best-known for his biography of Alasdair Gray, Glass’s essay…

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Hamza Yassin, Judy Murray and Henry Dimbleby at Wigtown Book Festival

The first weekend of the 25th Wigtown Book Festival saw Scotland’s National Book Town welcome a host of celebrities and special guests. Among those taking part were Judy Murray, who spoke about her new novel The Wild Card, and Hamza Yassin, the Strictly champion, cameraman and CBeebies ranger, who led a birdwatching walk and discussed…

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