2017

Border: A Journey to the Edge of Europe, looking at the borderlines that exist between countries, cultures and people was announced as the Scottish Book of the Year at the Saltire Literary Awards 2017.

Describing the book, the judges noted: ‘If ever there was a book for our times, it is Border: A journey to the Edge of Europe, delves into the stories of when the lines that separate countries on the map harden once more after their Cold War thaw. It is at once timely and timeless, with Kassabova - the poet and travel writer by trade - blending skills to spin something truly magical, and sadly, entirely necessary.’

Now firmly established as Scotland’s most prestigious annual book awards, the Saltire Society Literary Awards are supported by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland and celebrate and support literary and academic excellence across six distinct categories. The winner of each individual book award wins a £2,000 cash prize and goes forward to be considered for the Saltire Book of the Year award and an accompanying cash prize of £3,000.

Announced at the Saltire Literary awards ceremony was the winner of the 2017 Saltire Publisher of the Year Award, which went to Birlinn, who over its 25 years of publishing, Birlinn has consistently produced interesting, important and quality books with high production values.

Only in its second year, the winner of the Saltire Emerging Publisher of the Year Award was also announced as being presented jointly to founders of indie publisher 404Ink, Laura Jones and Heather McDaid, whose dedication and innovation are changing the face of modern Scottish publishing.

2017 Saltire Literary Awards shortlist unveiled at special event in Edinburgh

Multi-award winning writers and household names James Kelman, Bernard MacLavertyand Denise Mina feature alongside emerging talents Ever Dundas and Kate Hunterin 2017 Saltire Literary Awards shortlists, unveiled on the 12 October.

The shortlists for the seven awards that make up the 2017 Saltire Literary Awards were officially announced at an event hosted at the Edinburgh West End branch of Waterstones and featured readings from last year’s winner of the Scottish Book of the Year Award, Kathleen Jamie.

Widely regarded as Scotland’s most prestigious book awards, the Saltire Literary Awards are organised by the Saltire Society, a non-political independent charity founded in 1936 which aims to celebrate the Scottish imagination.

Established writer John Burnside, one of only two poets to have won both the T. S. Eliot Prize and the Forward Poetry Prize for the same book, features in both the Poetry and Fiction Book Awards shortlists. He is up against new voices Em Strang and Jason Donald for the coveted prizes.

A collection of some of the most beautiful and historically significant maps from the National Library of Scotland’s archive, the exploration of the development of Muslim communities in Scotland, highlighting the ongoing changes in their structure and the move towards a Scottish experience of being Muslim, and a collection, covering 500 years of transgressive Gaelic poetry with new English translations all contribute to a rich line-up in the Researchand Non- Fiction book of the Year Awards.

The Fiction Book of the Year shortlist features a number of acclaimed authors, including the latest books from previous Saltire Literary Award winners James Kelman, Bernard MacLaverty and John Burnside. Also featured isDenise Mina,the first woman to win the McIllvanney prize for her shortlisted novel,The Long Drop.

The First Book of the Year shortlist is particularly varied, with beguiling historical tale Goblin by Ever Dundas, the interweaving of crime and taxidermy in Sandra Ireland’s Beneath the Skin alongside the candid life-memoir of an Italian Scot, Anne Pia.