Ayrshire author shortlisted for Indie Book Awards
An Ayrshire author have been shortlisted for an award at the prestigious Indie Book Awards.
Award-winning Kilwinning author Andrew O'Hagan has been nominated in the fiction category for his novel Caledonian Road.
Organised by the Booksellers Association, the Indie Book Awards are the only awards for authors and illustrators judged by - and given on behalf of - independent bookshops.
Caledonian Road is a Sunday Times best-seller which follows Campbell Flynn over the course of an "incendiary" year where his world begins to fall apart in a tale of power, privilege and the hypocrisy of the liberal elite.
He faces tough competition for the award as fellow nominees include James by Percival Everett, There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak, The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry, The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier and Think Again by Jacqueline Wilson.
The Indie Book Awards are the culmination of the year-round campaign activity of Books Are My Bag which aims to showcase and promote to consumers the vital and unique economic, cultural and community value that bookshops bring on a local and national level.
Andrew is a keen supporter of independent bookshops and was "proud" to be shortlisted for the award.
He said: 'This shortlisting for Caledonian Road means the world to me, because my enthusiasm for independent bookselling is pretty boundless.
'I love the fact that the expertise and the human touch you find in independent booksellers is celebrated by the Booksellers Association and I feel proud to be one of the authors included.
'My relationship with independent shops is crucial to me; it describes a great deal of the fun and camaraderie to be enjoyed in this business.
'In my opinion, the inhabitants of British high streets with indie bookshops should celebrate their good luck on a daily basis.
'For a lot of us, it's where culture and entertainment and great conversations about books really begin and I couldn't live without those beautiful emporiums staffed by people who really care about what we write and what they sell.
'Hats off and respect due.'
Emma Bradshaw, head of campaigns at the Booksellers Association, said: 'At the Booksellers Association, we are privileged to regularly witness the alchemy of authors and independent booksellers working in tandem to place the perfect books into the hands of exactly the right reader; it is a magical pairing of brilliant writers and expert curators.
'Therefore, it is always a privilege to announce the shortlist for the Indie Book Awards, where we can bring the results of this partnership to as wide an audience as possible alongside spotlighting some of the best and brightest summer reads for 2025.'
Two Ayrshire bookshops are among the judges as the awards are decided by independent bookshops.
Neither will be judging Caledonian Road though as Molly Murray from Seahorse Bookstore in Ardrossan and Sarah Skelton from The Book Nook in Stewarton are both judges in the children's categories.
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