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Scottish Arts Council book awards
24/06/2004
Creative talent is flourishing in Scotland and its contemporary writers continue to attract a world-wide reputation for excellence, Frank McAveety said today.
Speaking after presenting the awards for the Scottish Arts Council Book Oof TtheOf The Year, and Children's Book of the Year, the Culture Minister praised the strength and vitality of literature as a central part of to Scotland's cultural life.
He said that we excel in this creative field and increasingly our writers are applauded, and appreciated and enjoyed around the world.
The Minister said:
"Scotland has a deserved reputation for producing world-class writers and we believe we should celebrate the wealth of creative talent that we have in Scotland.
"With the SAC Book Awards we recognise the talent we have when writing fiction, poetry, literary non-fiction and writing for children.
"Encouraging young people to read and be inspired by writers is also important and that is why I am particularly pleased that this year, for the first time, the judging panel for the children's category includes four 'Junior Judges', ranging from age nine to thirteen.
"I am also encouraged by the number of books that demonstrate a confidence in the use of the Scots language This illustrates the vitality and variety of writing in Scotland."
Fife-based writer, James Robertson has won the 2004 Scottish Arts Council
Book of the Year Award, for his widely praised work of historical fiction, Joseph Knight.
Elizabeth Laird, author of The Garbage King, has won the 2004 Scottish Arts Council Children's Book of the Year Award.
A total of £23,000 of prize money was awarded to writers at the
ceremony. The winner of the top award - Scottish Arts Council Book of the Year - received £10,000. The Scottish Arts Council Children's Book of the Year winner received £5,000 and the four short listed writers (2 in each
category) each received £2,000.
Six writers were shortlisted for this year's Scottish Arts Council Book
of the Year Award. They are:
- James Robertson - Joseph Knight
- Elizabeth Laird - The Garbage King
- Anne Donovan - Buddha Da
- Tom Pow - Landscapes and Legacies
- Matthew Fitt - King o the Midden
- Nicola Morgan - Fleshmarket
The Judging Panel in 2004:
Andrew Crumey, writer and literary editor for Scotland on Sunday (Chair) Sarah Morrison, Bookseller with Ottakars Christopher Whyte, Novelist, Poet and Academic Marc Lambert, Chief Executive of Scottish Book Trust Four readers from Orange Chatterboxs library reading groups, ranging in age from primary five to second year at secondary school.
The Scottish Arts Council champions and sustains the arts for Scotland,
investing £60 million from Scottish Executive and National Lottery funding to support and develop artistic excellence and creativity throughout Scotland. Further information is available from the SAC website at www.scottisharts.org.uk