McCall Smith and 404Ink win at Scotland's National Book Awards

Alexander McCall Smith and indie press 404Ink have won awards at the 2022 Scotland National Book Awards, which celebrates writing by Scottish writers and books about Scotland.

The Saltire Society announced the winners at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh Thursday evening (8th December). The winner of each category receives a bespoke award created by Inverness-based artist Simon Baker of Evergreen Studios. Literary award winners each receive a cash prize of £2,000, with the winner of the Saltire Society Book of the Year receiving a further £4,000.

McCall Smith, novelist, librettist, playwright, poet and polymath, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Scottish literature.

He has written more than 150 books on a wide array of subjects across novels, poetry, short stories and children’s books. His is Professor Emeritus of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh and holds honorary doctorates from 13 universities. In 2007 he received a CBE for services to literature and in 2011 was honoured by the president of Botswana for services through literature to the country.

“I’d like to thank the Saltire Society for the tremendous honour of this award. It means a huge amount to me and I am deeply grateful for the kindness of all involved," he said. 

Three publishing industry awards were also announced; the Publisher of the Year was awarded to 404Ink with the commendation from the judges: “404 Ink are brave and honest publishers, working to ensure underrepresented writers and works are published.”  

The Saltire Society Book Cover Design of the Year was won by designer Robert Dalrymple for Alison Watt: A Portrait Without Likeness (National Galleries of Scotland).

Birlinn and Charco Press were highly commended, while Emerging Publisher of the Year, awarded in partnership with Publishing Scotland, was presented jointly to two of the shortlisted nominees – Harley Griffiths, senior commissioning editor Times Books at HarperCollins Publishers, and Robert Lovell, general manager at Scottish Mountaineering Press. 

David Alston received both the History Book of the Year award and the Scottish Book of the Year Award for his Slaves and Highlanders: Silenced Histories of Scotland and the Caribbean (Edinburgh University Press).The non-fiction work explores Scottish involvement in chattel slavery and the impact of the gains from this on Highland Scotland. It was described as "an informative book based solidly in research but immensely accessible".

Awards were presented in six literary categories including The Fiction Book of the Year, won by Mara Menzies for her novel Blood & Gold: A Journey of Shadows (published by Birlinn) and The Non-Fiction Book of the Year awarded to Chitra Ramaswamy for her memoir Homelands: The History of a Friendship (published by Canongate Books).  

The First Book of the Year Award was presented to Will McPhail for his graphic novel IN (Hodder & Stoughton/Sceptre). 

The Poetry Book of the Year was awarded to Claire Askew for her collection How to Burn a Woman (Bloodaxe Books) and The Research Book of the Year Award was won by Surveying the Anthropocene: Environment and Photography Now, edited by Patricia Macdonald (Studies in Photography in partnership with Edinburgh University Press). 

Sarah Mason, director of the Saltire Society, said: “The last year has not been the easiest of times for our literary community, but the winners and shortlistees from Scotland’s National Book Awards exemplify the astounding talent and resilience of our creative communities.

“Congratulations to all those recognised this evening, the Saltire Society and our partners are thrilled to be able to celebrate, recognise and raise the profile of Scotland’s literary community in this way.”