William McIlvanney is to receive the Fletcher of Saltoun Award for 2013.

We were delighted to make the announcement of the award at his event at Bloody Scotland Festival on Sunday 15th September: the award, from the Saltire Society, is to honour the work and achievements of writer William McIlvanney – the godfather of Tartan Noir.

This prestigious award is given in recognition of an outstanding contribution to Scotland’s life and culture.

The Saltire Society council was unanimous in their support for the award noting McIlvanney’s particular contribution to Scottish literature, inspiring and influencing new generations of Scottish writers, and enthralling and entertaining readers in Scotland and internationally. As a previous winner of the Saltire Book of the Year Award for his novel The Kiln, their recognition of his achievements is longstanding.

On being told of the award Mr McIlvaney said;

‘I am overwhelmed by the news. Andrew Fletcher is one of the many Scots in history for whom my admiration is great and any award bearing his name is one I will be proud to be given.’

The award will be made on Thursday 26th September at 5.00pm in the Mitchell Library in Glasgow where we will celebrate the occasion with invited guests, members and friends.

Writer, journalist and broadcaster Ruth Wishart will be speaking to William McIlvanney’s achievements at the ceremony, where the award will be made by Saltire Society President Magnus Linklater.

Jim Tough, Executive Director of the Saltire said;

‘William McIlvaney has been a powerful and influential voice not in Scottish literature but across public life for many years. His work speaks of the people and communities that were all too often absent from our literature. In a year when his early books are being brought to a new audience through re-issue by Canongate Publishers we are delighted to highlight his enormous contribution to Scottish cultural life’.

Congratulations to William McIlvanney!