The inaugural winner of a Scottish award celebrating the best Gaelic children’s books will return to her roots later this month with a guest appearance at the Faclan Hebridean Book Festival.

Marie Macaulay, who was born and raised in Shawbost on the Isle of Lewis, will visit the island of her birth to talk about her latest book Uspaig agus S-S, which was named Gaelic Children’s Book of the Year in May, as part of the Royal Mail Awards for Scottish Children’s Books.

Uspaig agus S-S, Macaulay’s third book for children, was illustrated by Kathleen MacInnes and published by Leabhraichean Beaga. The author will make a special appearance at the Faclan festival on Thursday, August 30, during which she will read passages from the book, discuss its origins and take questions from members of the audience at Stornoway’s arts centre, An Lanntair.

Faclan 2007 is the second annual Hebridean book festival, bringing together world-class authors in an island setting. The writing featured embraces both Gaelic and English, history and fiction, poetry, song and film. This year’s festival programme features another two events being staged in conjunction with the Royal Mail Awards. On Friday, August 31, authors Nicola Morgan and John Fardell will co-host a session discussing their shortlisted books Flight of the Silver Turtle and The Highwayman’s Footsteps respectively. On Saturday, September 1, Theresa Breslin will talk about her novel The Medici Seal which is shortlisted in the awards’ 12-16 years category. All three events start at 1.00pm.

Marie Macaulay, author of Uspaig agus S-S, said: “I’m delighted on three counts – that the book won, that I’ve been invited to speak at Faclan, and that Royal Mail and the Scottish Book Trust are giving this degree of recognition and support to Gaelic writers.”

The winners of the Royal Mail awards are determined by children themselves, with more than 7,500 young readers – including pupils from Shawbost school in Lewis – already registered to read and vote upon this year’s shortlisted titles between now and the awards ceremony on Thursday, November 22.

Such was the success of the inaugural Royal Mail awards programme in 2006, this year’s winning authors will benefit from a trebling of the prize money handed out last year, making this the biggest prize awarded for children’s writing in the UK. The awards are split into four categories – Early Years, Younger Readers, Older Readers, Gaelic – and the winning author in each category receives £3,000, thanks to increased financial support from Royal Mail, the Scottish Arts Council and the Arts & Business Invest programme. Runners-up will receive £500.

Julie Morrison, Head of External Relations at Royal Mail, said: "I am delighted that the Gaelic category has been introduced this year. This ties into Royal Mail’s support for the language in Scotland and I look forward to seeing that category develop and grow in the years to come. A key aspect of these awards is the fact that children from every local authority area in Scotland are involved. This is greatly encouraging and we are pleased that the numbers of children taking part have grown this year.

“I hope that many people attend the author events in Stornoway later this month – they promise to be an important part of what is a very exciting Faclan festival programme.”

The shortlisted titles in this year’s Royal Mail Awards are as follows:

Early Years (0 - 7 years)
Augustus And His Smile by Catherine Rayner (Little Tiger Press)
Dan and Diesel by Charlotte Hudson and Lindsey Gardiner (Red Fox)
Katie’s Moose by James Robertson and Matthew Fitt, illustrated by Karen Sutherland (Itchycoo)

Younger readers (8 - 12 years)
Chill by Alex Nye (Floris Books)
The Flight of the Silver Turtle by John Fardell (Faber & Faber)
The Highwayman’s Footsteps by Nicola Morgan (Walker Books)

Older readers (13 - 16 years)
The Medici Seal by Theresa Breslin (Doubleday)
Nemesis: Into the Shadows by Catherine MacPhail (Bloomsbury)
Scarlett by Cathy Cassidy (Puffin)

A book review competition for children will run concurrently, with prizes awarded to the best reviews (in either Gaelic or English) of the shortlisted titles or the Gaelic category winner.

The Royal Mail Awards for Scottish Children’s Books are managed by Scottish Book Trust, in partnership with the Scottish Arts Council, and supported by the Times Educational Supplement Scotland. The awards are an evolution of the Scottish Arts Council Children’s Book of the Year.

For more information on both the Royal Mail Awards and Faclan, please see http://www.braw.org.uk/RoyalMailAwards and http://www.faclan.org/

Gaelic Version

An uair a thèid a’ chiad duais a-riamh airson an leabhair chloinne Gàidhlig as fheàrr a thoirt seachad nas fhaide dhan mhìos seo, bidh an tè a bhuannaich e a’ tilleadh gu tìr a h-àraich nuair a nochdas i aig an fhèis-leabhraichean “Faclan” sna h-Eileanan Siar.

Rugadh is thogadh Marie NicAmhlaigh ann an Siabost ann an Leòdhas. Tadhailidh i air an eilean san do rugadh i gus bruidhinn mun leabhar mu dheireadh aice, Uspaig agus S-S. Chaidh an leabhar ainmeachadh sa Chèitean mar Leabhar Chloinne Gàidhlig na Bliadhna. Bha sin mar phàirt de Dhuaisean a’ Phuist Rìoghail airson Leabhraichean Chloinne Albannach.

Seo an treas leabhar a sgrìobh Marie NicAmhlaigh do chloinn. Is e Kathleen NicAonghais a rinn na deilbh a tha ann agus tha an leabhar air fhoillseachadh le Leabhraichean Beaga. Diardaoin 30 Lùnastal, bidh an t-ùghdar an làthair aig an fhèis “Faclan”. Leughaidh i earrannan às an leabhar, bruidhnidh i mu cò às a dh’èirich e, agus gabhaidh i ceistean bhon luchd-èisteachd san ionad ealain An Lanntair ann an Steòrnabhagh.

’S e “Faclan 2007” an dara fèis leabhraichean bhliadhnail sna h-Eileanan Siar agus tha e ri toirt còmhla anns na h-eileanan ùghdaran cho math agus a th’ air an t-saoghal. Chithear an seo sgrìobhadh Gàidhlig agus Beurla, eachdraidh agus ficsean, bàrdachd, òrain agus film. Bidh dà thachartas eile ann am prògram na bliadhna seo ann an co-bhuinn le Duaisean a’ Phuist Rìoghail. Dihaoine 31 Lùnastal, bidh na h-ùghdaran Nicola Morgan agus Iain Fardell còmhla air ceann deasbaid mu na leabhraichean aca fhèin a tha air a’ gheàrr-liosta, Flight of the Silver Turtle agus The Highwayman’s Footsteps. Disathairne 1 Sultain, bidh Theresa Breslin a’ bruidhinn mun nobhail aice, The Medici Seal, a tha air a’ gheàrr-liosta airson duaisean aig ìre aois 12-16. Bidh na trì tachartasan a’ tòiseachadh aig 1.00f.

Thuirt Marie NicAmhlaigh a sgrìobh Uspaig agus S-S, “Tha mi gu mòr air mo dhòigh airson trì adhbharan: gun do bhuannaich an leabhar; gun d’ fhuair mi cuireadh bruidhinn aig Faclan; agus gu bheil Am Post Rìoghail a’ toirt a leithid seo de dh’inbhe agus de thaic do sgrìobhadairean Gàidhlig.”

Is e clann a tha a’ taghadh cò bhuannaicheas duaisean A’ Phuist Rìoghail. Tha còrr is 7,500 de luchd-leughaidh òga a cheana air an clàradh gus leabhraichean a leughadh agus gus bhòtadh airson geàrr-liosta na bliadhna seo eadar seo agus latha toirt seachad nan duaisean, Diardaoin 22 Samhain; agus am measg nan sgoilearan sin tha feadhainn à Sgoil Shiaboist ann an Leòdhas.

Bha a’ chiad phrògram de dhuaisean A’ Phuist Rìoghail ann an 2006 cho soirbheachail agus gum bi an t-airgead a gheibh na h-ùghdaran a bhuannaicheas duaisean na bliadhna seo a thrì uiread agus a bha e an-uiridh. Mar sin, seo an duais as motha airson sgrìobhadh chloinne san Rìoghachd Aonaichte. Tha ceithir buidhnean de dhuaisean ann: Na Ciad Bhliadhnachan; Luchd-leughaidh Òga; Luchd-leughaidh nas Sine; agus Gàidhlig. Taing do bharrachd taic ionmhais bhon Phost Rìoghail, Comhairle nan Ealan Albannach agus Prògram Taisgidh Ealan & Gnìomhachas gheibh an t-ùghdar a bhuannaicheas anns gach buidhinn £3000. Bidh £500 ann dhaibhsan a gheibh gach dara duais.

Thuirt Julie Mhoireasdan, Ceannard Às-chàirdeas aig A’ Phost Rìoghail, “Tha mi air mo dhòigh gun tugadh buidheann Gàidhlig a-steach am bliadhna. Tha seo a’ ceangal a-steach ri taic A’ Phuist Rìoghail don chànain ann an Alba agus tha mi a’ togail ri piseach agus soirbheachadh fhaicinn air a’ bhuidhinn seo sna bliadhnachan a tha romhainn. Aig cridhe nan duaisean seo tha gu bheil clann bhon h-uile ùghdarras ionadail ann an Alba an sàs annta. Tha seo gu math misneachail agus tha sinn toilichte gu bheil an àireamh de chloinn a tha a’ gabhail pàirt air a dhol an àirde am bliadhna.

“Tha mi an dòchas gun tionndaidh mòran a-mach an uair a bhios na h-ùghdaran an làthair ann an Steòrnabhagh aig deireadh na mìos seo. Tha a h-uile coltas gum bi na tachartasan seo nam pàirt chudthromach de “Fhaclan”, agus de phrògram beòthail na fèise sin.”

Seo na tiotalan a tha air geàrr-liosta na bliadhna seo airson Duaisean A’ Phuist Rìoghail:

Na Ciad Bhliadhnachan (0-7 bliadhna)
Augustus And His Smile le Catriona Rayner (Little Tiger Press)
Dan and Diesel le Charlotte Hudson agus Lindsey Gardiner (Red Fox)
Katie’s Moose le Seumas MacDhonnchaidh agus Mata Fitt, deilbh le Karen Nic an t-Sutharlanaich (Itchycoo)

Luchd-leughaidh Òga (8-12 bliadhna)
Chill le Ailig Nye (Floris Books)
The Flight of the Silver Turtle le Iain Fardell (Faber & Faber)
The Highwayman’s Footsteps le Nicola Morgan (Walker Books)

Luchd-leughaidh nas Sine (13-16 bliadhna)
The Medici Seal le Theresa Breslin (Doubleday)
Nemesis: Into the Shadows le Catriona NicPhàil (Bloomsbury)
Scarlett le Cathy Cassidy (Puffin)

Ruithidh co-fharpais lèirmheas air leabhar aig an aon àm, le duaisean a’ dol gu na lèirmheasan as fheàrr (ann an Gàidhlig no ann am Beurla) air na tiotalan a th’ air a’ gheàrr-liosta no air an tiotal a gheibh an duais sa bhuidhinn Ghàidhlig.

Tha Duaisean A’ Phuist Rìoghail airson Leabhraichean Chloinne Albannach air an rianachd le Urras Leabhraichean Albannach, ann an com-pàirt le Comhairle nan Ealan Albannach agus le taic bhon Times Educational Supplement Scotland. Is ann às an fharpais airson Leabhar Chloinne na Bliadhna, air a ruith le Comhairle nan Ealan Albannach, a thàinig na duaisean seo mun cuairt.

Airson tuilleadh fiosrachaidh mu Dhuaisean A’ Phuist Rìoghail agus mu Fhaclan, faicibh:
http://www.braw.org.uk/RoyalMailAwards  agus http://www.faclan.org/