NEWS

New kids on the block As the New Writers Awards are announced, Rebecca Monks nds out what winning can mean for an upcoming author

W hat do two librarians, a social care worker, a prop maker and a retired English teacher have in common? All are among the 10 recipients of this year’s Scottish Book Trust New Writers Awards.

The awards, which have been around since 2009, are now an important i xture in the Scottish literary calendar. Presented yearly, recipients receive a £2000 cash prize, which allows them to focus on their work. They also get mentoring from accomplished writers and industry professionals, performance and presentation training, and a residency at Cove Park: a retreat which offers writers and other artists the chance to focus on their work in a relaxed setting. This year, over 400 entrants submitted work for consideration, and the i nal list was whittled down to just 10 by a panel of judges which included Don Paterson, Amy Liptrot and Pamela Butchart.

Though the opportunities are immense, simply the acknowledgement of talent that the awards offer can be enough. That said, it’s not always an easy ride, and many awardees have been through the process before. One of this year’s recipients, Ciara MacLaverty applied for the programme three times before winning. ‘I heard about the New Writers Awards from a friend and former winner (Katy McAulay, playwright) who told me she’d i nally won after three tries,’ she explains. ‘I got shortlisted on my second try, nothing on my third, and I sent off my fourth try, just going through the motions. I was delighted to win, just when I felt I needed the support most.’

Simon Brown never expected to be an awardee at all. ‘I applied because I thought I might as well try my luck and see if anything would come of it,’ he says. ‘I never, ever thought anything would come of it so it’s a huge thrill.’

12 THE LIST 1 Feb–31 Mar 2017

MacLaverty, listed in the Poetry category, says that receiving the award has inspired her to create strong work. ‘Validation is a great motivation. The SBT has invested in us and we all want to work hard for them. I want to publish a small book of poetry and sniff the new pages. I want to read to a wider audience at family festivals, on the radio, in schools. I want to write poems for postcards, advertisers, old people’s homes. For Cal Mac Ferries.’ Brown too, is motivated by his award. ‘I’m hoping this will give me a leg up when it comes to i nding an agent or the holy grail getting published. I’m really looking forward to the mentoring aspect too; hopefully by the end of the year I’ll have at least a i rst draft of my next novel. Beyond that? I’m happy just writing for now. It would be nice to have as many people as possible read my work but you’ve got to be realistic about these things.’

THE FULL LIST OF NEW WRITER AWARDEES ARE:

FICTION & NARRATIVE NON FICTION Anna Stewart (Dundee) library and information assistant Elisabeth Ingram Wallace (Glasgow) art director, prop maker, production designer Laura Morgan (North Sutherland) project manager Sally Huband (Shetland) full-time writer Simon Brown (Edinburgh) library assistant POETRY Ciara MacLaverty (Glasgow) survey assistant Lydia Harris (Orkney) retired English teacher Molly Vogel (Glasgow) university tutor CHILDREN’S AND YOUNG ADULT FICTION Christine Laurenson (Shetland) social care worker Helen MacKenzie (Linlithgow) freelance copywriter

COMING UP

EDINBURGH STUDENT ARTS FESTIVAL This student-run festival celebrates art of all kinds from Edinburgh’s educational institutes. 2017’s programme has a strong emphasis on visual and performance art. See feature, page 36. Various venues, Edinburgh, Thu 9 Feb–Fri 3 Mar. GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL Scotland’s fastest growing i lm festival returns with a mix of local and international i lm, plus mainstream crowd-pleasers and groundbreaking art-house movies. See features, page 17. Various venues, Glasgow, Wed 15–Sun 26 Feb.

AUDACIOUS WOMEN FESTIVAL This festival encourages women to do something daring and bold, be it through music, spoken word, performance, or something even more audacious. See preview, page 47. Various venues, Edinburgh, Sat 18–Sun 26 Feb.

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STANZA Scotland’s national poetry festival returns. 2017’s headliners include John Agard (pictured) and Vahni Capildeo. Various venues, St Andrews, Wed 1–Sun 5 Mar. AYE WRITE! Writers gather in Glasgow for this 11-day celebration of words. This year’s highlights include Louise Welsh, Chris Brookmyre and John Byrne. Mitchell Library, Glasgow, Thu 9–Sun 19 Mar.

GLASGOW LIVE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL Bridget Christie, Janey Godley and Richard Herring are just three of the funny people headlining this year’s comedy festival. See features, page 28. Various venues, Glasgow, Thu 9– Sun 26 Mar.

EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE FESTIVAL Science- based fun, for kids, grown-ups and everyone in between. The full programme is released on Thu 16 Feb. Various venues, Edinburgh, Sat 1–Sun 16 Apr.