Scottish Book Trust, the national charity transforming lives through reading and writing, has announced the sixth cohort of Ignite Fellows, a prestigious award which supports established writers working on a significant project. The 2024 Fellows include Edinburgh-based writer Alycia Pirmohamed.
Ignite Fellows receive a £2,000 bursary and creative support tailored to suit their individual projects. Kris Haddow, based in Glasgow, and Gaelic writer Calum L MacLeòid, based in the Highlands, have also been awarded Ignite Fellowships this year.
Alycia Pirmohamed is a Canadian-born poet based in Edinburgh. She is the author of Another Way to Split Water among others, and is the co-founder of the Scottish BPOC Writers Network.
She also co-organises the Ledbury Poetry Critics Program, and she currently teaches creative writing at the University of Cambridge.
Alycia has held post-doctoral positions at IASH, University Edinburgh and at the University of Liverpool, and she received an MFA from the University of Oregon and a PhD from the University of Edinburgh. Her awards include the 2019 CBC Poetry Prize, a Pushcart Prize, and the 2020 Edwin Morgan Poetry Award.
Alycia Pirmohamed said: ‘It’s such a wonderful honour to be awarded the Ignite Fellowship this year as I work on a new project in creative nonfiction.
“I know how lucky I am to have this time and these resources to develop my writing and I’m so grateful to the Scottish Book Trust for this opportunity.’
Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: ‘Congratulations to our three new Ignite Fellows, who are very deserving of this award.
“The Ignite Fellowship provides writers with essential mentoring, financial assistance and practical support that will help them reach new heights in their careers. We’re thrilled to support these writers on their next chapters, and look forward to seeing how their projects progress.’
Scottish Book Trust, the national charity transforming lives through reading and writing, has today announced the fourth Ignite Fellowship awardees.
The Fellowship supports established writers who are embarking on a significant project. This year, the panel has selected author Meghan Flaherty from East Lothian and writer Michael Lee Richardson from Glasgow.
Martin MacIntyre, an author and storyteller from Edinburgh has been selected as the Gaelic Ignite Fellowship awardee, funded by the Gaelic Books Council.
The Ignite Fellows will receive a £2000 bursary and tailored creative support to suit their individual projects. The fellowship will run for one year, from December 2021 to December 2022.
Meghan Flaherty is the author of Tango Lessons, which Kirkus Reviews called “a vibrantly intelligent reading pleasure.” She has an M.F.A. from Columbia University in literary nonfiction. Her work has appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine, The Iowa Review, Psychology Today, Parents, and online at the New York Times, The Paris Review, and elsewhere. She moved to Scotland in September 2020.
During her Ignite Fellowship, Meghan will be working on her second book, a memoir about motherhood, memory, and the self – the stories we tell each other in order to live, and how those narratives define us.
Meghan Flaherty said:“I’m deeply honoured and delighted to be given the extra boost.
“With two small boys at home, my work is often first to slip from focus. Scottish Book Trust just gave me the support to change that, at least for this year!”
As well as a writer, Michael Lee Richardson is a youth worker. Their short film, My Loneliness is Killing Me – directed by Tim Courtney – won a BAFTA Scotland Award in 2018. Michael’s new short, Who I Am Now – directed by Jack Goessens – will be released soon. (NOTE:Michael Lee Richardson uses they/them pronouns)
Their radio drama, The End of the World, aired on BBC Radio Scotland, and their books The Extraordinary Life of Alan Turing and The Extraordinary Life of Freddie Mercury were published by Puffin.
During their Ignite Fellowship, Michael will work on The Other Team, a young adult novel set in Glasgow that follows the trials and tribulations of Mosaic, a ragtag football team made up of young gay, bisexual and transgender men.
It is based on characters from Michael’s short story of the same title which appears in the award-winning young adult anthology PROUD. Football forms the backdrop for the dramas of the young characters’ lives at home, touching on key themes of mental health, sex and relationships, with strong themes of community, friendship and team spirit.
Michael Lee Richardson said:“When I first started out as a writer, I used Scottish Book Trust’s website to learn how to write, and to find and apply for opportunities, and they’ve always been there for me as a writer – from being part of their Labs, to winning the New Writer’s Award, and delivering workshops as part of their Live Literature programme – so I’m delighted to receive this Fellowship and to be working with them again.
“The Other Team is an idea I’ve had for a long time, and I’m so, so excited to get started.”
Martin MacIntyre is an acclaimed author, bard and storyteller, who has worked across these genres for over twenty years; he has written eight works of fiction and one collection of poems. In 2003 his short-stories in Gaelic and English, Ath-Aithne (Re-acquaintance), won The Saltire Society First Book Award.
His novels Gymnippers Diciadain (Wednesday Gymnippers) and An Latha As Fhaide (The Longest Day) were in contention for their Book of The Year awards in 2005 and 2008 while his second story collection Cala Bendita’s a Bheannachdan (Cala Bendita and its Blessings) was shortlisted for both The Donald Meek Award and The Saltire Literary Book of The Year in 2014.
For his Ignite Fellowship, Martin will be honing a new manuscript of Gaelic poems, inspired by Catalonia and Wales, to maximize their potential reach in up to four languages: Gaelic, Catalan, Welsh and English.
Martin MacIntyre said:“I am delighted; this is a very useful opportunity at this point in my career as a poet and specifically regarding this current ambitious collection.
“Catalonia and Wales proved fertile areas for the seeds of poems to grow and I am indebted to those whose company I shared on the way.”
“Tha mi air mo dhòigh glan; ’s e cothrom glè fheumail a tha sa phrogram aig an ìre seo nam dhreuchd mar bhàrd agus gu h-àraid a thaobh a’ chruinneachaidh ùir amasaich seo.
’S ann gu math torrach a bha ùir nan dàn an Catalonia is sa Chuimrigh is bu thoigh leam taing a thoirt dha na daoine fialaidh a ghabh rium air mo shlighe.”
Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said:“Congratulations to our three new Ignite Fellows. We’re grateful to our funders for supporting this programme for a fourth year, providing writers with essential mentoring and financial assistance that will help their careers reach new heights.”
Scottish Book Trust, the national charity transforming lives through reading and writing, has today announced that applications are open for its Ignite Fellowship.
Now in its fourth year, the Ignite Fellowship recognises the achievements of professional writers and will offer tailored, practical and financial support to help writers find time and space to fire up their careers.
There are three awards available and Scottish Book Trust is working in partnership with the Gaelic Books Council, who will fund one of these specifically for a writer working in Gaelic. Applications from writers working in Scots are also strongly encouraged.
Last year’s fellows included: poet and performer Courtney Stoddart; artist and filmmaker Raman Mundair; and Gaelic poet and translator Niall O’Gallagher.
During her Ignite Fellowship, Courtney Stoddart has worked on her first poetry pamphlet featuring themes of race, identity and the ramifications of colonialism and imperialism.
She is being mentored by writer Rommi Smith. Raman Mundair has used her time during the Fellowship to bring her work into focus with her mentor. Niall O’Gallagher worked on his forthcoming fourth book, a verse-novella called Litreachan Plàighe (Plague Letters), told through a series of letters between characters who find themselves separated from one another.
The Ignite Fellowship provides a flexible programme to suit the individual needs of the selected awardees. Fellows will receive a £2000 bursary and tailored creative support to suit their individual projects. The fellowship will run for one year, from January 2022 to January 2023.
Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said:“The Ignite Fellowship now moves into its fourth year and looks to elevate the careers of writers, poets, playwrights and more who are looking to take the next step.
“The Ignite Fellowship programme is flexible to meet the needs of the awardee, which we know is more important now than ever. We encourage those writing in English, Scots and Gaelic to submit.”
Catriona Lexy Campbell, 2019 Ignite Fellow, said:“The Ignite Fellowship has been an incredible opportunity, providing me with the time and space to develop this project with exceptional mentorship from Aisling Walsh.
“I’m so excited to see where the next stage of this project takes me and I’m so grateful to Scottish Book Trust for their support throughout this time.”
Writers based in Scotland are encouraged to apply for the Ignite Fellowship. Applicants must meet the criteria for Scottish Book Trust’s Live Literature Database, though do not need to be on the database to apply.
Applications are welcome from writers, comic makers, poets, illustrators, storytellers, playwrights and spoken word artists.
The Ignite Fellowship will support writers who are embarking on a particular project including novels, poetry, screenplays and radio scripts. To apply, writers must have a project that still needs work. This project can be in the very early stages of development, such as an idea, outline or pitch, or already a work in progress.
Alison Lang, Director of the Gaelic Books Council, said:“The Ignite Fellowship has so far offered Gaelic writers the opportunity to work on folklore, poetry and screen adaptations.
“We are delighted to be continuing our partnership with Scottish Book Trust to support another writer in creating new work and developing their career, and we will welcome applications across all forms and genres of literature.”
Gaelic entries will be assessed by the Gaelic Books Council.
Awardees will receive:
A £2000 bursary
Tailored creative project support
In addition to the tailored creative project support the following opportunities will also be available:
A week-long writing retreat at Moniack Mhor, alongside writers from Scottish Book Trust’s New Writers Awards programme (subject to ongoing circumstances)
Optional training in Press, PR and Social Media and Performance and Presentation
A showcase event (to be organised with the selected writers)
Networking opportunities
Other reasonable support (including marketing, promotion and press) as needed
Reasonable travel expenses for all trips to attend programme commitments
Scottish Book Trust has announced the third Ignite Fellowship awardees.
The Fellowship supports established writers who are embarking on a significant project. This year, the panel selected poet and performer Courtney Stoddart and artist and filmmaker Raman Mundair. Poet and translator Niall O’Gallagher has been selected as the Gaelic Ignite Fellowship awardee, funded by the Gaelic Books Council.
The Ignite Fellows will receive a £2000 bursary and tailored creative support to suit their individual projects. The fellowship will run for one year, from December 2020 to December 2021.
Courtney Stoddart, from Edinburgh, is a Scottish-Caribbean performer whose work focuses racism, womanhood and growing up in Scotland.
She has featured in various theatrical productions, including Hannah Lavery’s Lament For Sheku Bayoh at the Lyceum Theatre. Courtney recently featured at the Edinburgh International Book Festival and appeared on Damian Barr’s The Big Scottish Book Club.
During her Ignite Fellowship, Courtney will work on her first poetry pamphlet featuring themes of race, identity and the ramifications of colonialism and imperialism.
Courtney Stoddart said: “I am absolutely delighted to have been selected for this year’s Ignite fellowship. I am incredibly thankful to Scottish Book Trust for this opportunity and can’t wait to get started on my project.”
Raman Mundair is an Indian born writer who is based in Shetland and Glasgow. She is an award-winning author and was longlisted for the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative Award and is a winner of the Robert Louis Stevenson Award and a Leverhulme Fellowship.
Raman has published poetry, fiction, drama and non-fiction and has performed and exhibited her artwork around the world from Aberdeen to Zimbabwe. She is currently a dramaturg and mentor for Scottish Youth Theatre on the Stories 2020 project. Raman will use the fellowship to bring her work into focus with the help of her mentor.
Raman Mundair said:“I am delighted to be offered this opportunity and look forward to possibilities that it will open for me and chance to amplify my voice and work as a hitherto overlooked writer, artist and director.”
Niall O’Gallagher, based in Glasgow, is the author of three books of poetry in Gaelic and was the recipient of a New Writers Award from the Scottish Book Trust ten years ago.
In 2019 Niall was named Bàrd Baile Ghlaschu, the City of Glasgow’s first Gaelic Poet Laureate. In 2020 he won the Gaelic prize in the Wigtown Poetry Competition for his poem ‘Penelope’.
During his fellowship, Niall will be working on his fourth book, a verse-novella called Litreachan Plàighe (Plague Letters), told through a series of letters between characters who find themselves separated from one another.
Niall O’Gallagher said:“I’m delighted. The New Writers Award I received from Scottish Book Trust and Gaelic Books Council in 2010 really helped me take my poetry from my notebook into print.
“I’m excited to work with them again as I develop my work further.”
Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said:“The Ignite Fellowship is important as it helps to give already established artists a boost in their career.
“In what has been a challenging year, we hope this award will provide inspiration and support, and we look forward to seeing the new projects from the writers.”
Scottish Book Trust, the national charity transforming lives through reading and writing, has announced that applications are open for the Ignite Fellowship.
