The public vote for the Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Book Awards 2013 opens today (Tuesday 1 October) at 10am.
Through a new online forum created especially for the Awards, members of the public are invited to read and discuss the four finalists’ books and select their favourite work.
Authors Ewan Morrison, Gavin Francis, Richard Price, and Kerry Hudson were named as the category winners of the Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry and First Book categories by a panel of judges back in September, and each received £5,000.
Their books are now in the running to win the Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Book of the Year Award and a further £25,000 (totalling £30,000 - Scotland’s largest literary prize).
Voting closes on 31 October. Full details can be found on the Scottish Book Awards website - www.scottishbookawards.com
The online forum features newly commissioned animated films which are intended to give readers a flavour of the books; to encourage them to read and enjoy the books before deciding which to vote as winner.
In a first for any British book award, the Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Book Awards worked, in partnership with Ko Lik Films, to commission four young Scottish animators to interpret readings by the authors from the first page of each of their books.
Cameron Fraser at Ko Lik Films commented: “The opportunity to play matchmaker with four talented young animators and some of Scotland's finest contemporary writing talent was the very best kind of creative brief. The resulting animations are proof of the wealth of creative talent Scotland has both in animation and literature.” To view the films, click on the links below,
Tony Hogan Bought Me an Ice-Cream Float Before He Stole My Ma - By Kerry Hudson - Watch Tony Hogan Bought Me An Ice-Cream....video
Close Your Eyes - By Ewan Morison - Watch Close Your Eyes video
Empire Antarctica - By Gavin Francis - Watch Empire Antarctica
Small World - By Richard Price - Watch Small World video
Cat Bruce, Anna Pearson, Michael Hughes and Kate Charter, who are all graduates from Edinburgh College of Art, were invited to create the short films.
Cat has worked on projects for Disney, Anna and Kate are BAFTA Scotland New Talent winners 2011 and 2013 respectively, and Michael has animated on Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mister Fox and Tim Burton’sFrankenweenie.
The Awards selection panel includes Clare English, BBC Radio Presenter; David McCormack of Waterstones; Peggy Hughes, Programme Director at Dundee Literary Festival; Kirsty Logan, Books Editor at The List; and Aly Barr, Development Officer at Creative Scotland.
Judging Panelist, Clare English commented: “It's been a real pleasure being involved in the selection process this year with a wealth of talented writers out there, many of them making their literary debuts. I hope that readers voting for the Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Book Awards will agree that there are many reasons to feel excited about the prospect of picking up a great read for those dark and chilly autumn nights.”
Kerry Hudson is winner in the First Book category for Tony Hogan Bought Me an Ice-Cream Float Before He Stole My Ma; Gavin Francis is winner in the Non-Fiction category for Empire Antarctica; Richard Price is winner in the Poetry category for Small World; and Ewan Morrison is winner in the Fiction category for Close Your Eyes.
Following the online public vote, the winner will be announced at Lennoxlove at 6.15PM in the Hamilton Marquee -
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