Issue 96 | March 2021
Scottish Publishing Industry News
Hello

The first signs of spring are more welcome than ever and recent sunny days have helped to raise spirits. But whatever is going on around us, books are there for those of us fortunate enough to have ready access to them. World Book Day on Thursday 4 March exists to promote reading for pleasure, offering every child and young person the opportunity to have a book of their own. We hope you find a way to celebrate it and, if you can, support it too.

As well as our usual round up of publishing and book news, festivals and jobs, we have news of a very exciting free event. Douglas Stuart, the Scottish winner of the Booker Prize, will be in conversation with James Crawford on 24 March - join us if you can.

Joan

Joan Lyle, Training and Information Manager
Book people news
SMALL PRESS OF THE YEAR FINALISTS 2021
Congratulations to our members Charco PressCranachan PublishingLittle Door BooksRymour BooksSandstone PressScotland Street Press and The Wee Book Company - all finalists for the British Book Awards Small Press of the Year Scotland 2021. Congratulations to member Saraband too (North England finalist). 

WITHERBYS
Seafarers anywhere in the world will now be able to reference an online library of marine publications thanks to new ereader software produced by Witherbys one of Scotland's biggest and most successful publishers.

HARPERCOLLINS
As part of The Literacy Project, HarperCollins is to donate 50,000 books to organisations supporting families during COVID across the UK. It is working with charities – including Glasgow Life – to support their respective work. The donation adds to the over 360,000 books donated by HarperCollins to those most in need through 2020.
HarperCollins in Bishopbriggs has also confirmed that it will move in 2025 from its current site to a custom-built site in Robroyston in Glasgow. See The Bookseller 2 March 2021.

MATT HAIG AND CANONGATE
The just-published paperback edition of Matt Haig's The Midnight Library (Canongate) went straight into the UK Official Top 50 number one spot. This was the author's first week atop the overall chart and it was also the first overall top spot for publisher Canongate. See Kiera O'Brien in The Bookseller 23 February 2021. The book is one of Richard and Judy's Spring Book Club 2021 picks.

ALAN BETT
Alan Bett has been appointed as the Head of Literature & Publishing at Creative Scotland. Alan was the interim appointment after Mairi Kidd's departure and before that he was Literature Officer at Creative Scotland for more than 3 years. See the full announcement on the Creative Scotland website.
Douglas Stuart and Shuggie Bain – A Publishing Journey
Douglas Stuart and James Crawford
On Wednesday 24 March 2021 at 8.30pm GMT, Douglas Stuart, Booker-Prize winning author of Shuggie Bain will be in conversation with James Crawford, writer and broadcaster on his publishing journey from debut writer to internationally-published author.

This event is hosted by Publishing Scotland/Scottish Books International, in conjunction with the Scottish Government’s International Office in Washington, DC, USA.

Sign up for your free place on Ticket Tailor.
World Book Day 2021
World Book Day takes place on Thursday 4 March 2021. Just like everything else, it will be different and has adapted to make sure that it sends a powerful and positive message about books and reading, even in lockdown. Exciting new developments include the World Book Day Book Club and Share a Story corner, as well as the exciting new line-up for 2021’s £1 books. For more information, see the World Book Day website. Royal Mail has also decorated five post boxes for WBD including a How To Train Your Dragon (Cressida Cowell) one in Oban.
International Women's Day 2021
International Women's Day logo
International Women's Day on 8 March is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. And these include women creatives of course. Here are just a few recent books by and/or about women: Bessie Smith by Jackie Kay (Faber & Faber), Where are the Women? by Sara Sheridan (HES), Feisty and Fiery and Fierce by Mairi Kidd (Black & White Publishing), Luckenbooth by Jenni Fagan (William Heinemann), An Tiortach Beag agus Sgeulachdan Eile by Morag Ann MacNeil (Acair).
Latest Translation Fund grants awarded
The latest round of the Publishing Scotland Translation Fund saw a total of £23,000 awarded to 15 international publishers from 10 countries towards the translation of Scottish writers including Denise Mina, Douglas Stuart, Ali Smith and Liz Lochhead. Grants were awarded for the works to be translated into Arabic, Danish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Macedonian, Portuguese, Serbian and Turkish.
Books from Scotland
This month, in Icons - Standing Out From The Crowd BooksfromScotland brings you the inspirational, the influential, and the infamous and books that look at our history, our future and our rites of passage.

From fiction to memoir, from graphic novels to current affairs, we will take you around the world and beyond for your fix of good reading.
Book prizes, awards and listings
The awards year has got off to a good start with Scottish books appearing on a wide variety of lists.
KELPIES
Almost a year later than anticipated due to Covid, Edinburgh-based publisher Floris Books has announced the shortlists for the delayed Kelpies Prizes for Writing and Illustration 2020. The prizes aim to recognise new Scottish writing and illustration for children. For the full shortlists, see the Kelpies website: Writing shortlist and Illustration shortlist.

LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZES 2021
The Los Angeles Times has announced the finalists for its annual literary awards. Douglas Stuart is shortlisted for the Fiction Book Prize 2021 for Shuggie Bain (Picador). The winners of some special awards were also announced including Andrew O’Hagan who won The Christopher Isherwood Prize for autobiographical prose for Mayflies (Faber).

The recently announced longlist includes After The War by Tom Palmer (Barrington Stoke).

Barrington Stoke also has a book on this award for illustrators: It's A No-Money Day illustrated and written by Kate Milner (Barrington Stoke). I Go Quiet illustrated and written by David Ouimet (Canongate) is longlisted too.

As the 250th anniversary of Scott’s birth approaches, the Walter Scott Prize has revealed the 11-strong longlist for the 2021 Prize. It includes A Room Made of Leaves Kate Grenville (Canongate UK, Text Publishing Australia).

Edinburgh-based Luna Press Publishing has three shortlistings:

Saraband book Cottongrass Summer by Roy Dennis was placed fourth and Whittles Publishing book The Ring Ouzel: a View from the North York Moors by Vic Fairbrother & Ken Hutchinson; Jonathan Pomroy (Illustrator), Chris Rollie (Fwd) was placed fifth on the BB/BTO Best Bird Book of the Year 2020 list.

Black & White Publishing, Luath Press and Sandstone Press all have books shortlisted:

Charco Press and Scotland Street Press have books longlisted:
Book festivals and events
It is too soon to know what form Scotland's book festivals will take later in the year but some of the early ones (like Winter Words) have taken place online or are planning to go ahead online. Others like Write by the Sea and the Colonsay Book Festival have postponed until next year.

GRANITE NOIR: 19 TO 21 FEBRUARY
Aberdeen's crime fiction festival was held online and you can catch up on what you missed (or watch again) on its YouTube channel.

PAISLEY BOOK FESTIVAL: 18 T0 27 FEBRUARY
This festival launched last year just before the pandemic restrictions and in 2021 ran online. The videos from the main public programme can be accessed via YouTube after the events have taken place if you want to re-watch them, or cannot make the live time. They will be available for 4 weeks only.

BIG BANG WEEK (WIGTOWN): 3 TO 6 MARCH
This Dark Skies Festival from Scotland's National Book Town features an inspirational range of speakers on space and science. For the programme, see the Wigtown Book Festival website. The Scotsman has an article about aspiring space doctor Dr Christina Mackaill who has an event on 5 March: see Rachel Mackie in The Scotsman 26 February 2021.

STANZA - SCOTLAND'S POETRY FESTIVAL: 6 TO 14 MARCH
Throughout the pandemic, people have been turning to poetry for consolation and inspiration. StAnza 2021 celebrates this profound relevance of poetry, showcasing a wide range of the artform, from page to performance, concrete verse to spoken word, established artists to emerging voices. For the programme, see the StAnza website.

HOOKED (WIGTOWN): 10 TO 14 MARCH
Hooked is a festival of creative collaboration with writers, illustrators, visual artists and performers offering a series of workshops for young people. Aimed at 14-25s, Hooked is an opportunity to try a new creative practice, develop your existing talent, learn about other opportunities in the region and meet your peers. For full details, see the Wigtown Book Festival website.

BLOODY SCOTLAND BOOK CLUB: 31 MARCH
Every month, Bloody Scotland will be hosting an exclusive book club discussion on Facebook Live with a variety of journalists, bloggers, podcasters and booksellers. The first live event features Laidlaw by William McIlvanney (Canongate), Worst Case Scenario by Helen Fitzgerald (Orenda Books), and Out For Blood by Deborah Masson (Corgi).
Big Bang Week and StAnza logos 2021
Job and opportunities

Twig Education: Marketing Assistant
Apply by Friday 5 March 2021 for this full-time, six-month, fixed term contract with Glasgow-based Twig Education.

Gaelic Books Council: Chair and Board members
Apply by 5pm on Friday 5 March 2021.

The Printing Charity Rising Star Awards 2021
Winners receive up to £1500 towards training or equipment to support their development. The deadline for applications is Sunday 7 March 2021.

LAS: Trustees
Apply to join the Literature Alliance Scotland (LAS) Board of Trustees by 12 noon on Monday 8 March 2021.

Hachette UK: Trainees
Hachette UK is partnering for the first time with literary agency Curtis Brown and booksellers Waterstones for its 2021 year-long traineeship programme. It is actively seeking applications from candidates from a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) background, applicants from lower socio-economic backgrounds and particularly men from both of these backgrounds to improve the representation of these groups in Hachette UK’s editorial staff base. Apply by 14 March 2021. Applications are to be made via Creative Access.

The Mainstreet Trading Company: Bookseller
Apply by Friday 12 March for this full-time position in St Boswells.

Edinburgh International Book Festival: Internship
This Development, Marketing & PR and Programming Internship opportunity is only open to Black, Asian and ethnically diverse candidates. Apply through Creative Access by Tuesday 16 March 2021.

Witherby Publishing Group: Editorial and Quality Control Assistant
Apply for this full-time, permanent position by Wednesday 17 March 2021.

Publishing Scotland: New Website Tender
The deadline for submissions of tenders to develop, design and deliver a new website for Publishing Scotland is Monday 22 March 2021.

Prepress Projects: Publishing interns
Apply by noon on Monday 22 March 2021 for these paid internships which, circumstances permitting, will take place in summer/autumn 2021 in Perth.

For more information, see the Publishing Scotland website.
Training courses and professional events

Springboard: 1 to 5 March
Free online conference from The Bookseller and BA (1 to Friday 5 March 2021), featuring independent booksellers in conversation with The Bookseller's four previewers. Register on Zoom.

IPG International Publishing Forum 2021: 9 and 10 March
Networking sessions will run throughout the two days. You can find the schedule and registration details on the IPG website.

SYP Scotland Conference Ctrl Alt Refresh: 26 and 27 March
SYP Scotland’s first-ever digital conference will feature panels on a wide range of topics. For programme and to buy tickets, see Eventbrite. And if you buy a ticket you will automatically be entered in a prize draw for a training course up to £250 (including any of Publishing Scotland's courses).

PS training courses
In case you missed it ...

GRAY DAY
The first Gray Day, a celebration of the writer and artist Alasdair Gray, took place on 25 February 2021 - the 40th anniversary of his masterpiece Lanark. It was marked by the publication of a new hardback edition of Lanark and a special Gray Day Broadcast with special guests including Ali Smith, Yann Martel, Denise Mina, Irvine Welsh, Gemma Cairney, Ewen Bremner and more. See www.grayday.info.
 
SHELF ISOLATION
Damian Barr chats with writer Douglas Stuart (episode 1) and presenter Lorraine Kelly (episode 2) about what they have been reading, watching and listening to during lockdown. Watch on the BBC iPlayer.
 
AND FINALLY
Maybe it's because one of our colleagues is heading off on maternity leave that we found this new range of babywear from an Edinburgh-based illustrator so cute. It features some of Catherine Rayner's illustrations and snippets of stories.