A writer from Inverness has come one step closer to achieving his dream of having his work published, after being named as the recipient of a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award in the fiction category.
Martin MacInnes, 31, wrote his thesis on author Virginia Woolf before graduating in 2004 from the University of Stirling with first class honours and the Edward and Thomas Lunt Prize, and in 2005 received his MA in English literature from the University of York. From 2006 to 2008 he worked and travelled in west Africa before moving to Edinburgh to give more time to his writing.
He said yesterday: “You always have doubts and crises, and a little affirmation now and then can go a long way. I am so grateful to have this opportunity.”
The judging panel members, including Scottish authors Doug Johnstone, Jenni Fagan, Jen Hadfield, Keith Gray and Scots Makar Liz Lochhead, reviewed over 300 entries before selecting the final 11.
Will Mackie, head of writer development at Scottish Book Trust, said: “We’re thrilled to be supporting these 11 exciting new talents through our New Writers Awards programme.
“Our support for writers gives them the opportunity to enrich their craft, develop professionally and heighten their awareness of the writing world. We’re very much looking forward to working with this diverse and fascinating group.”
Confirmed recent and forthcoming publications by previous New Writers include The Falling Sky by Pippa Goldschmidt, The Rental Heart by Kirsty Logan and Tree Language by Marion McCready.
The prestigious 2013 Dundee International Book Prize went to 2009 awardee Nicola White, and Scottish Book Trust New Writers can also be found in the programmes of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Aye Write, Stanza, Margins Book and Music Festival, and Words per Minute, among others.
The New Writers Awards are managed by Scottish Book Trust in association with Creative Scotland.