Tag: Saltire Society

Mhairi Black and Maureen Beattie among 2018 ‘Outstanding Women of Scotland’ inductees

Ten Scottish women from the fields of the arts, culture, politics, activism and science have been honoured and inducted into the esteemed Saltire Society ‘Outstanding Women of Scotland’ community at a special event in Glasgow.

This year’s ten inductees include the UK’s youngest MP Mhairi Black, distinguished scientist Sarah Wanless and actor Maureen Beattie, who is president of the actors’ union Equity and a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Histories Ensemble.

Also featured in this year’s list of inductees are Chief Executive of Community Justice Scotland Karyn McCluskey and pioneering campaigners Talat Yaqoob, Beth Morrison and Isabel McCue, alongside choreographer Janice Parker and literary agent Jenny Brown. Completing the list of 2018 inductees is Rosemary Ward, a notable figure in the fields of Gaelic education and literature.

Since it began in 2015, the ‘Outstanding Women of Scotland’ campaign has recognised and celebrated Scottish women from all walks of life and the inspiration their achievements set for the next generation. Each year, the campaign invites members of the public to nominate living contemporary examples of Scottish women who have made a significant contribution to Scottish culture and society for induction into the Outstanding Women of Scotland community. Past inductees have included singer-songwriter and activist Annie Lennox, bestselling author J.K. Rowling and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Tthe special ceremony, which took place at Gllasgow’s Womens Library, saw each inductee presented with a limited edition print.

Full details of this year’s ten inductees are as follows:

  • Maureen Beattie – prominent stage and screen actor and President of Equity.
  • Jenny Brown – leading literary agent, former Head of Literature at the Scottish Arts Council, founder Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival and Chair of Bloody Scotland crime writing festival.
  • Mhairi Black – Member of Parliament for Paisley & Renfrewshire South and the youngest member in the House of Commons.
  • Karyn McCluskey – Chief Executive of Community Justice Scotland, notably championed a public health approach to violence reduction and is a world-leading expert in this field.
  • Isabel McCue MBE – mental health campaigner and founder of Theatre Nemo.
  • Beth Morrison – award-winning campaigner for the care, wellbeing and rights of children with special and complex needs.
  • Janice Parker – award-winning independent choreographer and dance-maker.
  • Professor Sarah Wanless – internationally recognised marine scientist, a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and Honorary professor at the University of Aberdeen.
  • Rosemary Ward – Director of Programmes at the Scottish Book Trust, former Director of the Gaelic Book Council and notable figure in the fields of Gaelic education, literature and culture.
  • Talat Yaqoob – Director of Equate Scotland and campaigner for gender, race and religious equality in Scotland.

Mhari Black said: “I am hugely honoured to hold a place on this list amongst all the other phenomenal women who have been nominated this year, and I would like to thank every person who nominated me.

“The women on this list come from a wide range of backgrounds and it is great to see women leading in so many different sectors.”

Speaking about her induction, Professor Sarah Wanless said: “It is an honour to be named as one of this year’s Outstanding Women of Scotland and to join this esteemed Community.

“I could not believe it when I found out and I would like to thank those who nominated me to be inducted alongside this group of outstanding women recognised for their achievements in a range of spheres. I am proud to be representing the field of science and hope that it is a career path more young women can be inspired to follow.”

Glasgow Women’s Library Enterprise Development Manager, Sue John, said: “Glasgow Women’s Library is thrilled to be working with the Saltire Society once again.

“Each year, another cohort of incredible women is inducted as Outstanding Women of Scotland. Through their extraordinary contributions to Scotland and the wider world they are role models for us all, and I am pleased have celebrated their achievements with them on this special occasion.”

Saltire Society President, Sally Mapstone, said: “Across the arts, politics, science, and vital areas such as justice, special needs and mental health, Scotland generates outstanding women, whom the Saltire Society is proud to celebrate.

“Women’s leadership, creativity, and companionship, done on their own terms and to enhance the lives of others, characterise this year’s inspiring inductees.”

Saltire Society Programme Director, Sarah Mason, said: “It is a great privilege to once again honour truly inspiring women who contribute to both Scotland and internationally, who change the world we live in. 

“The Saltire Society exists to promote and celebrate Scottish culture and heritage and we are proud to work with Glasgow Women’s Library on the Outstanding Women of Scotland.

“Over the years, the contribution of Scotland’s women to the cultural life of this country has been truly remarkable but sadly too often underestimated or overlooked. By building the Outstanding Women of Scotland community year by year, I hope we can begin to address that shortcoming and bring women to the forefront.”

Public vote to choose ‘most inspiring writer’ to win Saltire First Book award

The Scottish public is being invited to vote for the most inspiring winner of the Saltire First Book Award, party of the Saltire Literary Awards as the Saltire Society celebrates thirty years since the First Book Award category was first created in 1988. Continue reading Public vote to choose ‘most inspiring writer’ to win Saltire First Book award

Karine Polwart and Chris van der Kuyl amongst 30th Fletcher of Saltoun Award winners

Multi-award-winning songwriter and musician Karine Polwart and leading technology entrepreneur Chris van der Kuyl feature as two of this year’s winners of the 30th annual Fletcher of Saltoun awards. Continue reading Karine Polwart and Chris van der Kuyl amongst 30th Fletcher of Saltoun Award winners

Edinburgh excels at Literary Awards

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A trio of Edinburgh writers and an Edinburgh Publishing company have won prestigious awards as part of the 2016 Saltire Literary Awards, announced last night at Central Hall in Tollcross.

Beating off strong competition from publications ranging from a true life thriller set in a remote crofting community to an evocative historical account of the Sutherland Clearances, Edinburgh raised Edinburgh University alumnus Kathleen Jamie’s latest poetry collection, The Bonniest Companie was named 2016 Saltire Society Book of the Year after winning the Saltire Scottish Poetry Book of the Year Award at this year’s awards ceremony.

Meanwhile, Edinburgh born John Kay, Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics and fellow of St. John’s College, Oxford, won the Saltire Scottish Non-Fiction Book of the Year Award for his most recent work, Other People’s Money: Masters of the Universe or Servants of the People?, a critical and revelatory tour of the financial world as it has emerged from the wreckage of the 2008 global financial crisis.

Edinburgh based freelance journalist Chitra Ramaswamy was named joint winner of this year’s Saltire Scottish First Book of the Year Award for her first novel Expecting, a beautiful, terrifying, and emotional reflection on her own pregnancy. University of Glasgow graduate Isabel Buchanan was a joint recipient of the First Book Award for her inaugural novel Trials, an examination of justice and injustice from the perspective of inmates on Pakistan’s death row.

Edinburgh publishing company Floris Books won the Publisher of the year award and, as part of the Saltire Society’s 80th anniversary celebrations, a fully funded placement on the renowned Yale Publishing Course, a week-long intensive classroom-based course hosted on the beautiful and historic Yale University Campus in New Haven, Connecticut in the USA. Floris Books Design and Production Manager Leah McDowell also emerged as the inaugural winner of the Emerging Publisher of the year award, a new addition to the 2016 awards roster in celebration of the Saltire Society’s 80th year.

Meanwhile, University of Edinburgh student Daniel Shand won the Saltire Society International Travel Bursary, supported by the British Council Scotland, which will allow him to travel to Berlin to research European history for his next novel through visits to the Museum of European Cultures, as well as the Stasi Museum, Jewish Museum, and the Topography of Terror.

Now firmly established as Scotland’s most prestigious annual book awards, the Saltire Society Literary Awards are supported by 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 £6,000.

Other award winners this year included His Bloody Project, Graeme MacraeBurnet’s engrossing novel about the true 19th Century case of a multiple murder in a remote crofting community and winner of the Saltire Scottish Fiction Book of the Year award. Set Adrift Upon the World, an evocative account of the Sutherland clearances by James Hunter, was named winner of the History Book of the Year award while Sebastiaan Verweij’s indepth examination of Scottish literary history The Literary Culture of Early Modern Scotland, took the Research Book of the Year award.

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Scottish Poetry Book of the Year award winner Kathleen Jamie (above) said: “I’m delighted that The Bonniest Companie has been named ‘Scottish Poetry Book of the Year’, but also a bit embarrassed. It was a terrifically strong shortlist, any of us could have won.  Scotland makes very good poets – a fact that’s still not acknowledged as it ought to be.  I’m grateful to the judges. It couldn’t have been an easy decision.”

Saltire Scottish Non-Fiction Book of the Year Award winner John Kay said: “I am honoured to receive this award. I have tried to write clearly and comprehensibly about money and finance. I am delighted at this recognition of that effort and hope it will encourage others in the same endeavour.”

Commenting on winning the Saltire Scottish First Book of the Year Award, Chitra Ramaswamy said: “I’m so delighted to have won First Book of the Year for Expecting. It means so much to have my first book recognised by such a prestigious award and to join such an impressive roll call of previous winners. Thank you!”

Katy Lockwood-Holmes, Publisher & Chief Executive at Floris Books, winner of the Saltire Publisher of the Year award said: “Floris has had a sparkling year, but the honour of being named Scottish Publisher of the Year is undoubtedly the crowning achievement. We’re so proud that children’s books, in particular, are being recognised at the highest level. This award is dedicated to the people who have built Floris over four decades: our brilliant authors and illustrators, our creative and tireless team, and the wonderful Scottish literary community who has supported us throughout.”kathleen-jamie
Leah McDowell, Design & Production Manager at Floris Books, winner of the inaugural Saltire Emerging Publisher of the Year Award added: “I’m truly delighted to have won this inaugural award which celebrates all the amazing, emerging talent that makes the Scottish publishing industry so rich and lively. Publishing is a team effort so big thanks to Floris Books, which has supported me from the beginning, and of course to the immensely talented illustrators I have the privilege to work with every day.”

Executive Director of the Saltire Society Jim Tough said: “This has been another terrific year for the Saltire Literary Awards and an extra special one as we celebrate our 80th anniversary. Every one of the individual book awards were hotly contested, making the judges’ decision a particularly challenging one. The same was also true of this year’s Publisher of the Year Award and new for this year, the Emerging Publisher of the Year Award.

“My congratulations to all of the winners and my heartfelt thanks to the judging panel and to all of our partners and supporters who helped to make the 2016 Saltire Literary Awards such a resounding success. We are proud to have seen these awards grow to embrace every aspect of literary Scotland; the emerging and the established, the academic and the poetic, fiction, non- fiction and publishing. Excellence is the common thread, built on the integrity and freely given commitment of our expert panels.”

Jenny Niven, Head of Literature, Languages and Publishing at Creative Scotland, said: “Huge congratulations to all of the shortlisted authors, category winners and to Kathleen Jamie on winning the 2016 Saltire Book of the Year. A visionary and moving response to a year charged with energy, passion and politics.  It was a great pleasure to be part of the judging panel for the 2016 Saltire Society Literary Awards and to read through this impressively diverse list of books. Awards such as this are important as they offer an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the outstanding quality and range of literature in Scotland and raise the national and international profile of talented authors.”

Alex Salmond to address Saltire Society

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Former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond will give a special lecture to celebrate the Saltire Society’s 80th anniversary at the Royal Society of Edinburgh tonight.

Entitled ‘Inspiring Scotland – 80 years of the Saltire Society’, Mr Salmond’s lecture will focus on the history of the Saltire Society and its varied contribution to Scotland’s public life, culture and society since being set up in 1936. As part of the lecture, Mr. Salmond will also consider what Scotland’s future might hold and its changing place in the world.

The event is open to the public and tickets are free but must be booked by emailing saltire@saltiresociety.org.uk. Tickets can also be booked through the Saltire Society website, www.saltiresociety.org.uk.

Ahead of the lecture, Mr Salmond said: “The Saltire Society is a superb collective where Scottish culture is preserved, nurtured and most importantly, enjoyed, across the globe. As we approach a century of their great work, I am thrilled to be able to host this event and look back on eighty years of Comann Crann na h-Alba. Long may their work – and celebrating everything it means to be Scottish – continue.”

Alex Salmond was first elected as an SNP MP for Banff and Buchan in 1987 and first became leader of the SNP in 1990. He was elected First Minister of Scotland following the 2007 Scottish Parliament elections in which the SNP beat Labour into second place and became the largest single Parliamentary party. He then led a minority SNP administration until the 2011 Scottish Parliament elections, at which the SNP won an overall majority.

He led negotiations on the terms of the 2014 Referendum on Scottish Independence. On the day after the referendum vote, he announced his intention to resign as Leader of the SNP and as First Minister immediately following the SNP’s Annual Conference in November 2014, where he was succeeded as SNP Leader and First Minister by Nicola Sturgeon. He is currently MP for Gordon where he won 48% of the constituency vote at the 2015 UK General Election.

Jim Tough, Executive Director of the Saltire Society, said: “We are very excited to announce that former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond will be addressing the Saltire Society on its 80th anniversary. We are enjoying an extremely busy year of events, awards, and lectures to celebrate 80 years of the Saltire Society and I believe this will be another great highlight.

“I am very much looking forward to what I’m sure will be a fascinating and thought-provoking lecture and would encourage anyone interested to come along and join the audience for what is bound to be a very popular event.”

The lecture will take place at 6.30pm tonight at The Royal Society of Edinburgh, 22-26 George Street.

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Outstanding Women of Scotland: ‘If you can see it, you can be it’

Annie Lennox, JK Rowling and Lesley Riddoch are among 2016 ‘Outstanding Women of Scotland’ inductees

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Ten Scottish women from the fields of the arts, culture, politics, activism, law and science were honoured and inducted into the esteemed Saltire Society ‘Outstanding Women of Scotland’ community at a special event in Glasgow yesterday. Continue reading Outstanding Women of Scotland: ‘If you can see it, you can be it’