News from the Scottish Publishing Industry

Issue 89 | July 2019

Scottish Publishing Industry News

Hello

Our usual Scottish summer weather has resumed and it's hard to believe that only last week we sweltered through Edinburgh's hottest day on record. But August is Edinburgh's month to shine whatever the weather. We've rounded up the festivals of course and we have plenty of other news about people and books in the industry.

Happy summer reading!

Joan

Joan Lyle, Publishing Scotland

Submissions open for Saltire Society Literary Awards

BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2019

The Saltire Literary Awards are now open to submissions until Monday 5 August 2019. Eligible books must be written by authors of Scottish descent or living in Scotland, or dealing with the work or life of a Scot, a Scottish question, event or situation. The Saltire Society looks forward to welcoming entries from all over the world. For full details, see the Saltire Society website.

PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR 2019

The Saltire Society Publisher of the Year is now open for submissions until Monday 12 August 2019. For full details, see the Saltire Society website. Last year's winners were Canongate Books and Historic Environment Scotland was the runner up.

EMERGING PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR 2019

The Saltire Society Emerging Publisher of the Year is now open for submissions until Monday 12 August 2019. For full details, see the Saltire Society website. Carolina Orloff of Charco Press was the 2018 winner.

Nominations open for Saltire Society Outstanding Women of Scotland

Ten Scottish women from the fields of the arts, culture, politics, activism and science will once again be honoured and inducted into the esteemed Saltire Society Outstanding Women of Scotland community at an event in Perth on Saturday 5 October 2019. Nominations close on Monday 12 August 2019. See the Saltire Society website for full details.

Book People News

NICK BARLEY

Nick Barley, Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, was awarded the Ordre National du Mérite on 16 July 2019 at a ceremony in London by French Ambassador Jean-Pierre Jouyet. The honour was awarded in recognition of Nick Barley’s longstanding commitment to the promotion of writers and books in translation and his contribution to the cultural dialogue between France and the UK. For more on this, see the festival's website .

THE BOOKSELLER RISING STARS 2019

Many congratulations to publishers Kay Farrell, Assistant Publisher at Sandstone Press (Inverness) and Rosie Howie, Publisher at Hodder Gibson (Glasgow), and bookseller Mairi Oliver, owner of Lighthouse Books (Edinburgh), who are all named as Bookseller Rising Stars of 2019. Rising Stars are up-and-comers and future leaders of the industry and the list is compiled by industry magazine The Bookseller.

LITERATURE ALLIANCE SCOTLAND (LAS) WRITERS ADVISORY GROUP

Five published writers living and working in Scotland have been named as LAS Writers Advisory Group members. They are: Maisie Chan, Sylvia Hehir, Pàdraig MacAoidh / Peter Mackay, Heather Palmer and Michael Lee Richardson. LAS is a membership organisation committed to advancing the interests of Scotland’s literature and languages at home and abroad. For more information, see the LAS website.

EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL

The two new appointments in the Programming Team are: Rachel Mellor, who becomes the new Children and Schools Programme Director, and Noëlle Cobden who joins in a brand new role as Communities Programme Director. For more on this, see the book festival's website .

SIR MARK JONES

The owner of The Golden Hare Bookshop has been named as the new Chair of the National Trust for Scotland. He takes over from Sir Moir Lockhead on 9 August 2019. For more information about this appointment, see the National Trust for Scotland's website.

KATALINA WATT

The new Audio and Online Assistant at Canongate Books is Katalina Watt who has been studying publishing at Edinburgh Napier University.

JAMIE CRAWFORD

The Archives and Records Association (UK & Ireland) and its ARA Scotland regional group have announced that Jamie Crawford, of BBC1's 'Scotland from the Sky', has agreed to be the ARA Scotland Explore Your Archive Ambassador for 2019-20. Jamie is Publishing Scotland's Chair.

JULIE DANSKIN AND HEATHER PARRY

Bookshop manager Julie Danskin and writer/editor Heather Parry are to launch a new literary magazine Extra Teeth. Read more about it on Kickstarter.

Booksellers in the news

With their recent awards and new bookshops opening, Scottish bookshops have been getting a fair bit of media attention. Here are some of the recent hightlights.

NEW BOOKSHOPS

The Portobello Bookshop opened last week to queues and sunshine which augurs well for its future. Both it and Toppings at Blenheim Place in Edinburgh (opening soon) featured in David Robinson's article about new Edinburgh bookshops in The Scotsman of 13 July 2019. A new Waterstones will be opening in the development at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh which is due to complete in October. Another Waterstones will be opening at the Silverburn shopping centre in September this year (see the Evening Times of 31 July 2019).

READING RECOMMENDATIONS

Holiday reads recommended by Julie Danskin, manager, and David Bloomfield, bookseller, at Golden Hare Books featured in The Observer's Booksellers Recommend feature of 14 July 2019. The article also featured a fabulous pic of Julie, David and the bookshop entrance (see below).

JAMES PATTERSON'S YOUNG BOOKSELLER SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Three young booksellers based in Scotland have received £500 special achievement awards from bestselling James Patterson's donations to support bookshops. They are: Mariam Mathie, The GLO Bookshop (Motherwell; Olivia Kekewich, The Edinburgh Bookshop; and Taylor McDonald, Bookpoint (Dunoon). For more, see the Booksellers Association website.

Golden Hare Books in the Observer 14July19

Gender inequalities within the Scottish literary sector

ROAR (Represent, Object, Advocate, Rewrite) has launched a new website, sharing first research findings (from Christina Neuwirth) that show that gender inequality in the Scottish literary sector is structural and persistent. The group, which was formed in 2016, is working to combat inequality in Scottish writing and publishing. With members from Scottish PEN, Creative Scotland, Scottish Book Trust, Waterstones, Glasgow Women's Library and more, ROAR represents voices from within the literary sector.

Not the Booker Prize voting open

The Guardian's Not the Booker Prize is a reader-driven books award that combines fun with the serious intention of highlighting great books that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. Its nomination process has put over 170 books in contention and readers are now able to vote to help whittle the numbers down to a more manageable three. Another three (one each) will be selected by last year's judges, and book champions Storyhouse Library in Chester and Golden Hare Books in Edinburgh. Books published in Scotland and/or by Scottish writers are well represented (some of them are pictured below). Go to The Guardian website to vote.

Members books on Not the Booker Prize 2019

Prizes, awards and listings

HERALD SCOTTISH CULTURE AWARDS 2019

404 Ink author Chris McQueer won the Outstanding Literature Award for his book Hings at the Herald Scottish Culture Awards 2019. Let Me Tell You This by Nadine Aisha Jassat (also 404 Ink) and As the Women Lay Dreaming by Donald S Murray (Saraband) were shortlisted.

DAGGERS

An Unexplained Death by Mikita Brottman (Canongate Books) is shortlisted for the CWA ALCS Gold Dagger for Non-fiction 2019 . The winner will be announced will on 24 October.

BOOKER PRIZE 2019 LONGLIST

This year's longlist (the 'Booker Dozen', of 13 novels), includes Night Boat to Tangier by Kevin Barry published by Edinburgh-based Canongate Books. Books by Margaret Atwood, Oyinkan Braithwaite, Lucy Ellmann, Bernardine Evaristo, John Lanchester, Deborah Levy, Valeria Luiselli, Chigozie Obioma, Max Porter, Salman Rushdie, Elif Shafak and Jeanette Winterston are also longlisted. For more information, see the Booker Prizes website.

BRITISH FANTASY AWARDS 2019 SHORTLISTS

Edinburgh-based Luna Press Publishing has been shortlisted for Best Independent Press and three books published by it have been shortlisted for four awards: Best Newcomer and Best Collection: Marian Womack - Lost Objects; Best Non-Fiction: The Evolution of African Fantasy and Science Fiction - ed. Francesca T Barbini; Best Comic/Graphic Novel: The Prisoner - Robert S Malan and John Cockshaw. For more details, see the British Fantasy Awards website.

WAINWRIGHT GOLDEN BEER PRIZE 2019

The Easternmost House by Juliet Blaxland (Sandstone Press) is one of seven books shortlisted for this prize celebrating the best books about nature, the outdoors and UK travel. The winner will be announced on 15 August at an event in the National Trust Arena at BBC Countryfile Live.

HISTORICAL WRITERS ASSOCIATION CROWN AWARDS LONGLISTS 2019

As the Women Lay Dreaming by Donald S Murray (Saraband) has been longlisted for the HWA Debut Crown best debut historical novel 2019.

GORDON BURN PRIZE 2019 SHORTLIST

For the Good Times by Scottish writer David Keenan has been shortlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize 2019. The winner will be announced on 10 October 2019

A selection of prize deadlines and submissions

Curtis Brown First Novel Award: 1 August 2019

Anyone can enter so long as they’re 18 or over, writing a novel (aimed at adults) in English and resident in the UK or Ireland. The closing date for entries is midday on 1 August 2019. For full details, see the Curtis Brown Creative website .

Nan Shepherd Prize: 10 September 2019

The Nan Shepherd Prize is a new competition to find the next voice in nature writing. It aims not only to celebrate nature writing but provide an inclusive platform for new and emerging nature writers from underrepresented backgrounds. The winner will receive a book deal with Canongate – including editorial mentoring and an advance of £10,000 – and the option of literary representation with Jenny Brown Associates. The closing date for entries is 10 September. For more information, see the Nan Shepherd Prize website .

Scottish Book Trust Next Chapter Award 2019

This year's annual award supporting an emerging writer over the age of 40 has a closing date of noon on Wednesday 18 September 2019. For all the details, see the Scottish Book Trust website .

The Queen's Knickers Award 2019

This new annual prize, generously funded by Nicholas Allan, author of The Queen's Knickers, is awarded to an outstanding children's original illustrated book for ages 0-7. The closing date is 5pm on 15 November 2019. For full details, see the Society of Authors website.

Scottish Writers Showcase in Glasgow 22 August

Ajay Close , Amanda Thomson , Anna Levin , Ambrose Parry , Martin Macintyre and Polly Clark will be reading and discussing their work with Professor of Creative Writing, Louise Welsh , in honour of Publishing Scotland's International Fellows 2019 . All are welcome to this free showcase at the University of Glasgow.

See the Publishing Scotland website for more details.

Northern Lights 24 and 25 August

This free event in Edinburgh on 24 and 25 August 2019 is open to all in the publishing industry at any level. Northern Lights is a collaborative project between the Edinburgh International Book Festival and Bradford Literature Festival designed to bring together Northern and Scottish publishers. Booking essential.

For the full programme and to book your place, see the Edinburgh International Book Festival website .

Under Blue Skies

This month many of you will be packing your suitcases and heading off to wonderful destinations across the country and beyond, and you're going to need some good reading for your travels. If you're struggling to choose, let BooksfromScotland offer some recommendations of the best new releases in fiction, crime writing, YA, travel and picture books. See the latest issue Under Blue Skies.

Book (and other) festivals

BUTE NOIR (ROTHESAY): 2 TO 4 AUGUST

There's a lot packed into this crime fest on the first weekend in August. A host of well-known crime writers will be appearing include: Ian Rankin, Ann Cleeves, Denise Mina, Stuart MacBride, Mark Billingham and Chris Brookmyre. As well as talks there's a quiz, musical entertainment and 'Room 101'. See the Bute Noir website for all the details .

FRINGE BY THE SEA (NORTH BERWICK): 2 TO 11 AUGUST

A fantastic line-up this year with speakers including Cathy Newman, Val McDermid, Lord David Steel and Gordon Brown, Ian Rankin, Kirsty Wark and Malachy Tallack. There's also lots of music and other events including: Alexander O'Neal, Idlewild, Eddi Reader, Groove Armada, films and mind, body, soul sessions. For full details and to book, see the Fringe by the Sea website .

EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL: 2 TO 26 AUGUST

The giants of the arts are invited to appear at the Edinburgh International Festival every August . This year book lovers might be particularly interested in Sydney Theatre's play based on The Secret River by Kate Grenville (the UK publisher is Canongate Books) and the National Theatre of Scotland's adaptation of Red Dust Road by Jackie Kay (Picador).

EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE: 2 TO 26 AUGUST

Where to start?! A search of the words 'books' and 'literature' found over one hundred shows including a Make Your Own Book Workshop, a musical adaptation of the William Blake poem The Book of Thel; Adventures of a Comic Book Artist; That's What She Said (spoken word); Adam Kay (Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor); A Booklover's Comedy Show; In Conversations with Ian Rankin and Val McDermid; Russian Roulette (literature and gambling devices); Ruby Wax on How to be Human - and many more.

BOOK FRINGE: 3 TO 28 AUGUST

This partnership between the Lighthous e and Golden Hare Bookshops is a burgeoning free festival that takes place in Edinburgh in August and celebrates books, bookshops and communities. For the programme and full details, see the Book Fringe website .

SCOTLANDSFEST (EDINBURGH): 19 TO 23 AUGUST

Organised by Edinburgh publisher Luath Press, this fringe festival invites you to enjoy 15 varied afternoon sessions of stimulating conversation, readings and debate covering topics from George Orwell to Eduardo Paolozzi, the outer reaches of St Kilda to the inner workings of Glasgow, the science behind the standing stones to the political landscape of Scotland as she stands in the aftermath of Brexit. See the day-by-day Scotlandsfest programme on the Luath Press website.

BEYOND BORDERS INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL (INNERLEITHEN): 24 AND 25 AUGUST

The festival returns to Traquair House in 2019 for its 10th year! Speakers include Rosemary Goring, Staffan de Mistura, Sir Tom Devine, William Dalrymple, Razia Iqbal, Lindsay Hilsum and more. For full details and to book, see the BBIF website .

I SLAY BOOK FESTIVAL: 29 AUGUST TO 1 SEPTEMBER

This volunteer-run festival, is now part of Islay's busy annual events calendar and Argyll's thriving cultural scene. The full programme is still to be announced but there's a special event with whisky and Ian Rankin, and an informal writing session with Karen Campbell, already on the website .

MCLELLAN ARTS FESTIVAL (ARRAN): 30 AUGUST TO 14 SEPTEMBER

This arts festival includes poetry readings, a poetry workshop and an evening with Kirsty Wark. See the full programme on the Arran Theatre and Arts website .

The Publishing Scotland website has a calendar of book festivals and other events .

JOBS, TRAINING AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

READING AGENCY (HOME BASED)

Programme Manager, Reading Friends Scotland: apply by 5pm on Monday 5 August 2019 for this fixed-term position (until 31 August 2020).

EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY PRESS

Marketing Assistant: apply for this full-time post by Wednesday 14 August 2019.

CHARLES RIVER (TRANENT, EAST LOTHIAN)

Scientific Report Publisher: apply for this by Wednesday 21 August 2019.

FLB GROUP (DALKEITH)

Editor: apply as soon as possible. FLB Group brands include Letts and Filofax.

FLB GROUP (DALKEITH)

Typesetter/Desktop Publishing Operator: apply as soon as possible. FLB Group brands include Letts and Filofax.

SANDSTONE PRESS (INVERNESS)

Publishing Assistant: apply for this full-time, fixed-term (one year) position by Friday 23 August 2019.

COVE PARK (ARGYLL)

Translation Residencies: literary translators of books by Scotland-based authors are invited to apply for this two-week residency at Cove Park (in Argyll and Bute) in partnership with Publishing Scotland. The closing date is Sunday 18 August 2019.

For more details of all these jobs, see the Publishing Scotland website .

WRITING DIGITAL CONTENT: 12 SEPTEMBER

Learn how to write strong, reader-focussed content that will get your website found in search and engage your target audience, compelling them to take action.

UNDERSTANDING EBOOKS: 24 SEPTEMBER

Do you want to be an ebook expert? Do you want to thoroughly understand the market? Plus have the practical skills to code your own books? Join industry expert Ken Jones for this one-day course.

PRACTICAL STEPS TO PREDICTABLE COLOUR: 25 SEPTEMBER

This one-day course offers attendees a thorough understanding of colour management theory and how it can be put into practice. Demystifying this potentially complex subject and explaining all the jargon used along the way, this course outlines the steps required to put theory into practice in the real world of book production.

For more details of these courses, see the Publishing Scotland website.

AUTHOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL FUND

This fund has been established by Scottish Books International (SBI) to support writers who have been invited overseas to promote their work. Apply at any time throughout the year. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis while there is an available budget for the quarter. For full details, see the SBI website .

TRANSLATION FUND: APPLY BY MONDAY 12 AUGUST

This fund supports the translation of Scottish writers' books into languages other than English, Gaelic and Scots. Spread the word to your publishing contacts. For more information, see the Translation Fund page on our website.

TRANSLATION RESIDENCIES AT COVE PARK: APPLY BY SUNDAY 18 AUGUST

Cove Park is delighted to continue its Translation Programme, in partnership with Publishing Scotland, to bring two translators of Scottish books for a two-week residency each to Cove Park this autumn. For full details, see the Cove Park website.