Prizes and fellowships

Strathclyde English academic awarded Scottish Book of the Year prize

The Saltire Society announced the winners of the 2019 Literary Awards at a glittering ceremony at the National Museum of Scotland on 30th of November 2019. Kirstie Blair, English Professor within the School of Humanities, received the prestigious Saltire Society Scottish Book of the Year Award for her Working Verse in Victorian Scotland: Poetry, Press, Community (published by Oxford University Press).

As well as the prominent win for Scottish Book of the Year, Kirstie was also awarded The Saltire Scottish Research Book of the Year Award, supported by the National Library of Scotland.

Working Verse In Victorian Scotland: Poetry, Press, Community was selected as The Saltire Society Scottish Book of the Year by a panel of judges from the winners of the five Literary Awards. The judges found its accessibility in subject and in its writing profound. The fact that it is an important, significant piece of research did not discolour its enjoyability, with laugh out loud moments and fascinating facts. The judges felt a warmth from it and to it.

The National Library of Scotland support the Saltire Society Scottish Research Book of the Year, and The National Library of Scotland’s Associate Director of Collections and Research, Robin Smith said “It’s not every day the winner of the research category scoops the overall Saltire prize, which demonstrates just what a compelling and important read Ms Blair’s work is. Research adds to our collective understanding of the world around us, and sharing the resultant knowledge is just as important as the activity itself. We encourage and promote research on every subject imaginable at the National Library, and we’re delighted to continue to support this award.”

Fellowship

Prof Yvette Taylor, School of Education, has been elected Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. In total, 51 leading UK social scientists have been conferred the award of Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. All have been elected on the basis of their outstanding contributions to research and to the application of social science to policy, education, society and the economy.

The Academy’s Fellowship is made up of distinguished individuals from academic, public and private sectors, across the full breadth of the social sciences. Through leadership, applied research, policymaking and practice, they have worked to help understand and tackle some of the toughest challenges facing us in modern times. Their work has contributed to the UK’s position as a world leader in the social sciences. See the full list of new Fellows here.