Smith and Davidson among authors shortlisted for the Highland Book Prize

Ali Smith and Tony Davidson are among the authors shortlisted for the £2,000 Highland Book Prize, announced by The Highland Society of London and Moniack Mhor, Scotland’s Creative Writing Centre.

The annual award celebrates published work that is created in, or about the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. The prize aims to recognise the literary talent of the region, and the work inspired by its culture, heritage and landscape.

Companion Piece by Ali Smith (Hamish Hamilton) is on the shortlist, alongside Confessions of a Highland Art Dealer by Tony Davidson (Woodwose Books). Duncan Gillies has made it on the list with Crann-Fìge/ Fig Tree: Short Stories (Acair), while Cynthia Rogerson is in the running for WAH! Things I Never Told My Mother (Sandstone Press).

With work published in both English and Gaelic, the four shortlisted titles "demonstrate the quality and variety of literature coming forth from the Scottish Highlands and Islands".

There were 81 entries in total for the award, which was open to books published between 1st January 2022 and 31st December 2022 by UK publishers.

The shortlist was selected from a longlist of 12 by this year’s judging panel which includes poet and writer of fiction and narrative non-fiction, Kapka Kassabova, whose book Border (Granta) won the 2017 Highland Book Prize. Mark Wringe, senior lecturer in Gaelic language and culture at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, University of the Highlands and Islands, is also on the panel, as is poet Peter Mackay. The selection process was chaired by Alex Ogilvie, a trustee for the Highland Society of London.

Rachel Humphries, centre director at Moniack Mhor, said: "We are thrilled to showcase a selection that represents such varied aspects of Highland culture and its people. It’s also wonderful to see a balance between new work and established voices that are new to the prize."

The winning title will be announced at an online award ceremony on Tuesday 6th June 2023, which will include readings and discussion with all four shortlisted authors.

Kassabova said of Companion Piece: "The finely cadenced prose is completely alive on the page, with themes that are subtly executed and an unforgettable story that is unlocked from the past and speaks to the present. A finely tuned mechanism of a book of virtuosic playfulness."

On WAH! Things I Never Told My Mother, Kassabova added: "WAH! explores the making of a self through personal relationships. Written with grace, humour and panache, it traces the author’s intimate journey across cultures, eras and stages of life."

Speaking about Confessions of a Highland Art Dealer, Mackay commented: "A fascinating book with a warm mix of anecdote, autobiography and high art. The vignettes about artists and their work are fantastic, and it is especially interesting on arts culture and class systems in the Highlands. An engaging read that gives many new insights."

About Crann-Fìge/ Fig Tree, Wringe said: "Written with confidence and assurance in both Gaelic and English, these light, subtle stories gel to form a cohesive whole, depicting Gaelic culture when it too was whole."