Dundas' 'captivating' novel named Saltire First Book of the Year

Ever Dundas’ "captivating" novel Goblin (Saraband) has won the Saltire Society First Book of the Year Award, it was announced at a ceremony held in Edinburgh last night (30th November).

The novel, which is set both in the carnage of the Blitz and the chaos of the 2011 London riots, beat strong competition from books by five other Scottish writers. Goblin tells the story of “an iconic protagonist” with “a powerful imaginative force”. An outsider, the Goblin, uses the power of imagination to help her navigate and survive in a cruel world. 

Dundas said winning the award was an "absolute dream". 

“Writing may seem like a solo effort, but it takes a lot of people for a book to come together," she said. "So, my thanks to everyone who’s helped: family and friends, my agent and publishers, fellow writers and inspirational artists… Goblin wouldn’t be here without you.”  

Publisher Sara Hunt added: “Our heartiest congratulations go to Ever, who so richly deserves this award. In Goblin, Ever has created a character to die for. The book itself has echoes of Jeanette Winterson and Angela Carter: it is a superb piece of writing.”

Saraband is publishing Goblin on 6th December 2017. It was originally published by Freight Books in May 2017.