Twelve up-and-coming authors from across Scotland have been announced as recipients of Scottish Book Trust’s 2025 New Writers Award.
Every year, Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives with reading and writing, holds its prestigious year-long writer development programme to support burgeoning writers in Scotland. In addition to a £2,500 cash prize, awardees receive invaluable mentorship from established writers and industry professionals, a week-long retreat, and opportunities to showcase their work to key figures in the publishing world.
This year’s awardees are:
- Flora Leask (writing as Flora Leask Arizpe), Glasgow, Poetry
- James Sinclair, Lerwick, Scots
- Jade Mitchell, Glasgow, Fiction and Narrative Non-Fiction
- Jacqueline McGill (writing as Jac McGill), Helensburgh, Children's and Young Adult
- Jess Dolan, Peebleshire, Fiction and Narrative Non-Fiction
- Kim Crowder, Angus, Poetry
- Lucy Goodwill, Edinburgh, Children's and Young Adult
- Petra Johana Poncarová (writing as Johana Egermayer), Glasgow, Gaelic
- Sarah MacRae (writing as Sarah NicRath), Perth and Kinross, Gaelic
- Sharon Holland (writing as SE Holland), Glasgow, Next Chapter Award
- Taylor Dyson, Dundee, Spoken Word
- Zebib Kidane Abraham (writing as Z. K.Abraham), Edinburgh, Callan Gordon Award
Since its launch in 2009, the New Writers Awards have had an extraordinary impact on publishing. Of the 202 awardees who have completed the programme, 82 have published their work, and 206 books have been published worldwide.
The Callan Gordon Award and Next Chapter Award are two prestigious opportunities that support emerging writers as part of the Scottish Book Trust’s New Writers Awards programme.
The Callan Gordon Award, established in memory of the young Scottish writer Callan Gordon (1983-2011), honours his passion for storytelling by providing a platform for writers aged 18 to 35 who focus on short stories or poetry. Thanks to the generosity of Callan’s family, this award runs every two years, offering an additional writer a place in the New Writers Awards and continuing Callan’s legacy of creativity and literary observation.
The Next Chapter Award is designed to support emerging writers over the age of 40.
Both awards provide financial support, mentoring, professional development, and industry exposure, ensuring that new literary voices have the opportunity to thrive.
Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: "We are committed to nurturing emerging voices in Scottish literature and are continually inspired by the creativity and resilience our awardees demonstrate. This year’s awardees, with their unique perspectives and storytelling, promise to enrich Scotland’s literary landscape, and we are excited to support them as they take the next steps in their writing journeys."
2025 New Writers Awardees Profiles
Sarah NicRath (32) is an aspiring illustrator and Gaelic children’s book author from Lochalsh, now residing in Highland Perthshire. She has a background in Graphic design and Gaelic Early Years education. She began her writing journey during maternity leave in 2023, where a break from regular ‘work’ allowed her mind to wander and her creativity to return. Her writing has a focus on stories with simple silly subject matter, repetition and rhyme suited for families with Gaelic or children learning Gaelic in the early years. She is currently working on illustrating and finalising copy for some of her stories and looking forward to having the time to spend on her catalogue of ‘works in progress’.
Sarah says: "I am delighted to have received a New Writers Award and am very grateful for the opportunity. I’ve been working away on my own for a while so I am really looking forward to having the guidance of a mentor to help take my projects further."
Taylor Dyson (29) is a writer and performer from Dundee. She co-runs the award-winning theatre duo, Elfie Picket Theatre, alongside her partner, and they focus on new writing. Taylor is extremely passionate about women's stories, working-class stories and representation in the arts. She is also passionate about Scots language, and has hosted the Scots Language Awards for the last two years, and recently adapted an NHS book for new parents into Dundonian Scots.
Her recent work includes Goodbye Dreamland Bowlarama and Pushin' Thirty at A Play, A Pie and A Pint, Dolly Parton Saved My Life (a community tour), And the ART Award-winning one-woman show, Ane City, which has performed in Prague, Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Dundee Rep Theatre. She also runs the monthly poetry night, BLETHER, at Sweet Venues in Dundee.
Taylor says: "I am incredibly excited and grateful to receive this award. I have never had the chance to focus on my spoken word work in a supported environment, and this is a massive privilege. I cannot wait to meet everyone and get started!”
Jac McGill (47) was born and raised in Helensburgh, and is a teacher and children’s coach. Jac’s collection of picture books, Wise for My Size Coaching Library, unlocks children’s inner wisdom, helping them understand how they think, rather than telling them what to think. A proactive approach to children's mental health, these books are sold worldwide, supporting children and families in developing confidence, resilience, and self-belief.
Her home is a lively hub, what she affectionately calls a 'mini-zoo', filled with a variety of pets. Currently, Jac is working on her first middle-grade novel, blending World War II evacuation, the Scottish Highlands, and a touch of magic. Whether through coaching, teaching, or storytelling, her passion remains the same; helping children believe in themselves.
Jac says: "When Scottish Book Trust called, I could barely believe it! This has been a dream of mine for so long. Being selected for the New Writers Award is an incredible honour, and I can’t wait to meet my fellow writers, learn from this experience, and savour every moment of the year ahead.”
Kim Crowder’s writings have been published in literary journals, anthologies and blogs focused on human-animal relations, climate change, medical humanities and museology. She has twice won first prize in the Suffolk Poetry Society's annual George Crabbe poetry competition. Born a Londoner, she lives in rural Angus and contributes to several Scotland-based writing groups including ‘the prescription’ project hosted by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Glasgow. Throughout 2024 she participated in the Clydebuilt 16 poetry mentoring scheme.
Kim says: "Achieving a New Writers Award at the first attempt was a huge and very welcome surprise. The prospect of year-long customised support, plus networking with the other awardees, is ideal. I am extremely grateful to the Scottish Book Trust as their generous assistance will help me achieve my ambition of publishing a poetry pamphlet and, eventually, a full collection.”
SE Holland (42) SE Holland is a writer from Glasgow. She holds an MA in Screenwriting from the Screen Academy Scotland and has previously worked as a producer for the animated TV series LEGO Friends and LEGO Elves. She has also worked with children as an Early Years Practitioner at a nature kindergarten. Her work explores themes of belonging, climate change and nature – tackled with heart and humour. Holland is currently working on her first novel for children aged 9–11, a sci-fi fantasy adventure.
SE says: "I am amazed and honoured to be a recipient of the Next Chapter Award! Hosting an award specifically for new writers aged over 40 is a vote of confidence for those of us coming late to the party, and I’m hugely grateful to both the Scottish Book Trust and the inspiring judges for this incredible opportunity.”
Z. K. Abraham (35) is a writer and psychiatrist M.D., with a master's in creative writing with distinction from University of Edinburgh, and a medical doctorate from Cornell University. She writes at the borders of the literary and the speculative, reality and the uncanny. Her background in psychiatry informs her introspective, often weird fiction. Through the Royal Literary Fund, she was a Reading Round fellow for Edinburgh for 2024–2025.
Her short work has been published in Clarkesworld, The Rumpus, Fantasy Magazine, Fractured Lit, and more, and has also been nominated for Best of the Net and a Pushcart Award. She is represented by Carleen Geisler at ArtHouse Literary Agency.
Z. K. says: "When I received the call, I didn't quite understand what was happening at first. I thought I might have made an error on my application. When I learned I was awarded the Callen Gordon Award, I was in shock! I was also so grateful to the Gordon family and deeply moved by his life and impact.”
Jade Mitchell is a writer and poet based in Glasgow. She recently graduated with an MLitt in Creative Writing from the University of Strathclyde, where she was awarded the Brian Hamill Common Breath prize for her writing. Her poetry can be found in online publications such as Moist Poetry Journal and Untitled Writing. In 2022, she collaborated with queer theatre company Moot Point Collective to write her first poetry film, ‘The Door’. As an emerging fiction writer, Jade is interested in playing with liminality, the intersections of desire and sexuality, and surreality and strangeness. She is currently working on her first short story collection.
Jade says: "I am incredibly thrilled and honoured to receive this New Writer Award from Scottish Book Trust. It feels surreal to have my writing recognised in this way at such an early stage in my career. I cannot wait to meet the team, my fellow awardees, and to make the most of this valuable period of development.”
Jess Dolan (44) is a civil servant from Derbyshire, now based in the Scottish Borders. She is inspired by the relationship between people and places. Her work was shortlisted for the Bridport Short Story Prize 2024. She is working on a collection of linked stories.
Jess says: "I am so thrilled to be the recipient of a New Writers Award. It feels like such a vote of confidence in my writing and my development. I'm looking forward to seeing what the year ahead brings. Thank you Scottish Book Trust.”
Flora Leask Arizpe (24) is a writer from Glasgow. She has had short stories and poems published in Gutter, Interpret Magazine, Propel Magazine, and Wet Grain, among others. She was twice long-listed for the University of Edinburgh’s Lewis Edwards Memorial Prize, where she completed her undergraduate degree in English Literature and Philosophy in 2023. She self-published the risograph poetry pamphlet 'Flower-star & Other Poems' (2023) while working at Edinburgh’s Typewronger bookshop. She has performed her poetry for the launches of Gutter, Interpret Magazine, and Palimpsest Arts Magazine. She has been a member of the bilingual UK/Barcelona based artist collective ‘Age of Concern’ since its founding in 2020.
Flora says: "I’m over the moon to receive the New Writers Award - hearing the news has been surreal. It has come at a time when I've really felt in need of guidance, so I'm hugely grateful for this opportunity. I can’t wait to meet others in the community and develop my writing.”
Petra Johana Poncarová (36), originally from Prague and now residing in Glasgow, is a Marie Curie Fellow at the University of Glasgow, where she researches radical Gaelic magazines from the early 20th century. Her love of Gaelic led her to teach herself the language in Prague before completing a one-year course at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in Skye. She has translated Gaelic literature into Czech, including Tormod Caimbeul’s Deireadh an Fhoghair and poetry by Peter Mackay, Niall O’Gallagher, and Derick Thomson. Her own Gaelic poetry, published under her family surname (Johana Egermayer), has appeared in New Writing Scotland and Aimsir.
Petra says: "For somebody who came to Gaelic as an outsider, this is a great encouragement. I'm grateful for the opportunity and hope to use it well - to pay off something of the grateful debt to the world of Gaelic literature, which inspired me to learn the language and has since led me to places where I never expected to find myself.”
Lucy Goodwill is a writer, artist and educator from London, now based in Edinburgh. Lucy has a master's in Creative Writing from the University of Edinburgh and her work has been featured by publications such as 404 Ink, Dear Damsels and Popshot Magazine. Alongside her own practice, Lucy shares her passion for writing as a creative tutor, working with organisations such as Write Like a Grrrl, Super Power Agency and The Literary Consultancy to spark others’ creativity.
She was selected as a virtual writer-in-residence for Melbourne City of Literature in 2024 where she ran a series of virtual workshops in collaboration with a network of libraries. As a disabled writer, Lucy will use her award to focus on a novel exploring the experience of becoming chronically ill at a young age and the myriad of challenges that come with it.
Lucy says: "I am beyond thrilled to have been selected for the New Writers Awards. This is a golden opportunity to develop my writing practice and it means so much to receive such a vote of confidence in my work. I can’t wait to meet the other Awardees and get started!”
James Sinclair (63) from Lerwick, Shetland, has been writing poetry for the past 20 years. He writes in both English and the Shetland Dialect, although his natural voice is in the dialect. Over the years, James’s work has appeared in a number of literary magazines and poetry compilations. He has published one pamphlet, Gulf Stream Blues, through North Idea, and two full-length poetry collections: Yarnin, 2017, and Sheeksin, 2021, through Bluemull Books.
His radio play, Da Sam Rodd Wir Ancestors Drave, was transmitted on BBC Radio Shetland in 2021. James is on the editorial committee of the New Shetlander magazine and is a committee member of the Shetland dialect group Shetland Forwirds.
James says: “I am delighted to receive the 2025 New Writer's Award in Scots. It gives me the opportunity to explore a book of poems in the Shetland dialect, which I am very passionate about.”
Background
Header image is by John Need Media for Scottish Book Trust.
About Scottish Book Trust
Scottish Book Trust is a national charity that believes everyone living in Scotland should have equal access to books. Our work provides opportunities to improve life chances through books and the fundamental skills of reading and writing. Access to books and a love of books bring many important benefits from family bonding and advancing children’s learning, to unlocking creativity, helping employability and improving mental health and wellbeing. Scottish Book Trust aims to support all communities across Scotland, with particular focus on those who are vulnerable and under-represented.
Our programmes and outreach work include:
- Gifting books to every child in Scotland to ensure families of all backgrounds can share the joy of books at home, through Bookbug and Read, Write, Count
- Working with teachers to inspire children to develop a love of reading, creating innovative classroom activities, book awards and author events such as Authors Live with the BBC and our Scottish Friendly Children's Book Tour
- Supporting and nurturing Scotland's wide-ranging literary talent, both emerging and established through our training, awards and writing opportunities including New Writers Awards
- Creating events to share books and connect writers with communities, including Book Week Scotland
- Providing support to people living with dementia and their carers through Reading is Caring
About Creative Scotland
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports culture and creativity across all parts of Scotland, distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery, which, now in its 30th year, has supported over 14,600 projects with more than £501.9 million in funding through Creative Scotland and its predecessor, the Scottish Arts Council. Further information at creativescotland.com. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Learn more about the value of art and creativity in Scotland and join in at www.ourcreativevoice.scot.
About Comhairle nan Leabhraichean (The Gaelic Books Council)
Comhairle nan Leabhraichean (The Gaelic Books Council) is the lead organisation with responsibility for Gaelic writing and publishing, and for raising the profile and reach of Scottish Gaelic books in Scotland and internationally. Established in 1968, Comhairle nan Leabhraichean is a registered charity and receives funding from Creative Scotland and from Bòrd na Gàidhlig to support its programme of grants, professional training and events.
In addition to the funding we receive from the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland, we need the constant support of trusts and foundations, corporate sponsors and individual donors.