Scotland's National Book Awards, formerly known as the Saltire Society Literary Awards, are made annually by the Saltire Society. First awarded in 1937, they are awarded for books by Scottish authors or about Scotland, and are awarded in several categories.

History

The first Saltire Society Book Award was given in 1937, the year after the Saltire Society was established. No awards were given after 1939 due to the Second World War, and the next award was made 1956. The History Book of the Year award was inaugurated in 1965. In 1982 sponsorship was obtained and since then the awards have been made annually. First books have been recognised since 1988, and in 1998 the award for Scottish Research Book of the Year was established. Until around 2021, the awards were known as the Saltire Society Literary Awards, subtitled Scotland's National Book Awards, but then took on the subtitle as the name covering all of the literary awards that the society awards: Scotland's National Book Awards, and are known by this name.

Description

The awards seek to recognise books which are either by "living authors of Scottish descent or residing in Scotland," or which deal with "the work or life of a Scot or with a Scottish question, event or situation". , the winner in each category receives an award created by artist Simon Baker of Evergreen Studios, based in Inverness; the winners of each literary award receive a cash prize of £2,000, while the winner of the Saltire Society Book of the Year is given a further £4,000.

Categories

A one-off Homecoming Book of the Year award was made in 2009 to celebrate the "Year of homecoming": the award was presented to American professor Donald Worster for his biography of John Muir, A Passion for Nature. The shortlist consisted of The Bard: Robert Burns, A Biography, by Robert Crawford, The Testament of Cresseid and Seven Fables, by Seamus Heaney, The Lamplighter, by Jackie Kay and Piano Angel, by Esther Woolfson. In 2014, the Scottish Literary Book of the Year was awarded, but was replaced after only one year by separate awards for Fiction Book of the Year and Non-Fiction Book of the Year , the Saltire Society presents awards in seven categories for books, and three awards for publishers: In 2019, a Lifetime Achievement Award was introduced, the inaugural prize going to Alasdair Gray. Subsequent winners of the lifetime achievement have been: In addition, an annual student travel bursary is awarded to a creative writing graduate, and the Ross Roy Medal is awarded for the best PhD thesis on a subject related to Scottish literature.

Past winners

Scottish Book of the Year

The Scottish Book of the Year award was established in 1937, and has been given annually since 1982. The award is open to novels, poetry and plays as well as non-fiction works on Scottish subjects.

Scottish Literary Book of the Year

The award for Literary Book of the Year was introduced in 2014, and was open to fiction, non-fiction or plays .The award only existed for one year before being replaced by separate awards for Fiction and Non-Fiction

Scottish Fiction Book of the Year

The fiction book of the year award was inaugurated in 2015.

Scottish First Book of the Year

The first book of the year award was inaugurated in 1988 and recognises an author who has not previously published a book. As with the book of the year, the award is open to novels, plays, poems and non-fiction.

Scottish Non-Fiction Book of the Year

The award for Non-Fiction Book of the Year was introduced in 2015

Scottish Poetry Book of the Year

The award for Poetry Book of the Year was introduced in 2014

Scottish History Book of the Year

The award for History Book of the Year was established in 1965 in honour of the historian Agnes Mure Mackenzie (1891–1955). It was only awarded intermittently until 1994 when it became an annual award.

Scottish Research Book of the Year

This award was initiated in 1998, and is made jointly by the Saltire Society and the National Library of Scotland. It aims to recognise books which "represent a significant body of research and offer new insight or dimension to the subject".