Acclaimed author Kate Atkinson has been presented with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award by the Saltire Society, describing the recognition as a "tremendous honour".
The accolade was bestowed during the annual Saltire: Scotland’s National Book Awards ceremony in Edinburgh, which also celebrated the year’s most outstanding literary works.
Atkinson, known for her intricate narratives and compelling characters, received her award from fellow celebrated writer Sir Ian Rankin. Expressing her gratitude, she stated: "Receiving the Saltire Lifetime Achievement Award is a tremendous honour, and I am so thankful to the judges for this recognition. It’s a pleasure to be recognised alongside so many gifted writers."
Her extensive bibliography includes 13 novels, such as the critically acclaimed Life After Life, A God in Ruins, and the popular Jackson Brodie detective series, which began with Case Histories.
Beyond novels, Atkinson has also published collections of short stories and plays. Her contributions to literature were previously recognised with an MBE in the 2011 Queen’s Birthday Honours List, and she is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Mairi Kidd, director of the Saltire Society, lauded Atkinson’s impact, remarking: "We were absolutely delighted to present Kate Atkinson with this award. Through her global readership, Kate is a superb ambassador for Scotland. Her large casts of characters, intricate plots and deft handling of big themes speak to readers everywhere; the very special blend of literary and genre fiction she deploys sites her firmly within Scotland’s modern canon."
Kidd also highlighted the society’s past recognition of Case Histories in 2005 and the delight in seeing Sir Ian Rankin present the award, noting it was "moving to see two key figures in the community of novelists shaping the identity of modern Scotland stand together on the stage."
The ceremony also unveiled the winners across the main book categories. Sean Lusk’s A Woman Of Opinion, a fictionalised account of the pioneering eighteenth-century poet Mary Wortley Montagu, secured Scotland’s Fiction Book of the Year.
Sarah Moss was awarded Scotland’s Non-Fiction Book of the Year for My Good Bright Wolf, a memoir exploring the recurrence of a teenage eating disorder in adulthood.
Further awards included Anthony Vahni Capildeo’s Polkadot Wounds for Scotland’s Poetry Book of the Year, and Bruce Peter’s Art Deco Scotland for Research Book of the Year.
Debut authors were also celebrated, with Chris Kohler’s magical realist novel Phantom Limb winning Fiction Debut of the Year. Katie Goh’s Foreign Fruit, her first full-length work, took the Non-Fiction Debut prize, while Tim Craven’s collection Good Sons was named Poetry Debut of the Year.
These emerging talents will receive a cash prize and a bespoke mentoring package, supported by funding from Creative Scotland, which also backs a wider bursary and coaching programme.
Mairi Kidd underscored the significance of this year’s selections: "Scotland’s Books of the Year 2025 showcase the exceptional literary talent of our small country today. The winning books are all very different, but there is a golden thread of connection running through them – the value of literature itself in troubled and troubling times."
She added that the authors demonstrate a "clear preoccupation with the complex and urgent questions facing us today," offering "clarity, understanding and connection to sustain us as we grapple with our challenges." The Saltire Awards honour the best Scottish books, open to writers originating from or resident in Scotland.
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