Fieschi wins 2023 Kelpies Award

Rebekah Fieschi has been announced as the winner of the Kelpies Prize for Writing 2023 . 

The announcement was made through virtual ceremony on Thursday (24th August) featuring shortlisted entries read by Janis Mackay, and a speech from award-winning children’s author and neurodiversity champion Elle McNicoll.  

The award, which aims to recognise and support new Scottish writing for children, went to Fieschi, an Edinburgh-based writer and film-maker originally from Corsica, for her “compelling characters and engaging dialogue,” organisers said.  

They added: “The judges were impressed by her ability to transport readers directly into the exciting action of her piece about a young dyslexic witch who must summon all her courage to fix a spell-casting mishap.”

The Floris team will now allocate nine months of mentoring to Fieschi as part of the prize.

Shortlisted writers included Bruna De Luca, Leanne Dymond, Jonathan Stephens and Jacqueline Thompson-Tadrowski. 

Floris, the largest independent children’s publisher in Scotland revamped the Kelpies Prize for Writing in 2018 with a new focus on developing and nurturing talent in Scotland. Entrants to the 2023 prizes were asked to provide a selection of writing samples suitable for a children’s book, which showcased their range and creativity.  

The award was first given in 2005 with support from the Scottish Arts Council, now Creative Scotland, and seeks to encourage and develop new Scotland-based talent.