Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives with reading and writing, has today announced the 2023 New Writers Awardees – recipients of a prestigious year-long writer development programme which includes mentorship, a bursary, and opportunities to showcase work to publishing industry professionals.
Five Glasgow-based writers are in this year’s cohort: Scots language poet Oliver Robertson; fiction writer and Callan Gordon Awardee Hannah McDonald; fiction writer Dervla Johanna; poet Eloise Birtwhistle; and Gaelic fiction writer Dòmhnall Eòghainn MacKinnon.
There are in total 11 writers on this year’s programme, including two writing in the Scots language and two in Gaelic. This year also marks the tenth anniversary of the Callan Gordon Award, a place on the programme which is awarded in memory of Callan Gordon, a young Scottish writer, and funded by the Gordon family.
Previous awardees include Booker Prize winner Graeme Macrae Burnet; bestselling author of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine Gail Honeyman; and acclaimed writers Kirstin Innes, Rachelle Atella and Sarah Smith.
Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said:
‘This year’s cohort of New Writers Awardees showcase some of the best new writing talent in Scotland. We’re excited to support them on the next stage of their writing journeys to help them develop and hone their skills further.’
Alan Bett, Head of Literature & Publishing at Creative Scotland, said: ‘Scottish Book Trust’s New Writers Awards continues to launch fresh and inspiring voices into professional writing, supporting them every step of the way.
‘We’re excited to see the future of Scottish literature emerge from this list and, eventually, onto bookshop shelves. The list of successful authors and poets to have come through New Writers is testament to the success of the programme, helping them develop their creative work and navigate the professional challenges of these early career stages. We wish them all success.’
Alison Lang, Director of Gaelic Books Council, said:
‘Tha sinn toilichte a bhith ag obair còmhla ri Urras Leabhraichean na h-Alba a-rithist airson an cothrom luachmhor seo a thabhann do dhithis sgrìobhadairean a bhith a’ leasachadh an cuid obrach. Tha Duaisean nan Sgrìobhadairean Ùra air cuideachadh mòr a thoirt do dh’iomadh sgrìobhadair aig toiseach nan dreuchdan aca, agus tha sinn an dòchas nach bi e fada mus faic sinn bàrdachd Robbie MhicLeòid agus sgeulachdan goirid Dhòmhnaill Eòghainn MhicFhionghain ann an clò.’
‘We are pleased to be working with Scottish Book Trust once again to offer this valuable opportunity to two writers to develop their work. The New Writers Award has given many writers a head start in their careers, and we hope it won’t be long before we see Robbie MacLeòid’s poetry and Dòmhnall Eòghainn MacKinnon’s short stories in print.’
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