‘Luminous’ memoir on art and life named book of the year at national awards

A “luminous” memoir on the art of the Dutch Golden Age has been named book of the year at Scotland’s National Book Awards.

Thunderclap: A Memoir Of Art And Life And Sudden Death by Laura Cumming was also named non-fiction book of the year during a ceremony in Edinburgh’s Central Hall.

Cumming’s memoir explores the relationship between art and life, interweaving reflections on her own life, on that of her late father the Scottish painter James Cummings, and on the great artists of the Dutch Golden Age.

“We knew it would stay on our bookshelves and we would return to it again and again.”

In a post on social media site X, Cumming said: “I do not know when I have ever been more proud! Such gratitude tonight to all the judges.”

What Doesn’t Kill Us by Ajay Close was named fiction book of the year, and Ruin, Blossom by the late John Burnside was named poetry book of the year at the ceremony on Thursday night.

The first book award went to Night Train To Odesa by Jen Stout, and Lorna Hutson’s England’s Insular Imagining, which explores the Tudor marginalisation of Scotland, was named research book of the year.

The lifetime achievement award went to the multi-award-winning novelist, short story writer, essayist and playwright James Kelman.

Kelman’s past accolades include winning the 1994 Booker prize for his novel How Late It Was, How Late, while in 2008 his novel Kieron Smith was named both Saltire Society book of the year and Scottish Arts Council book of the year.

Mairi Kidd, director of The Saltire Society, which presents the awards, said: “In their deliberations, the judges returned again and again to the words ‘unexpected’ and ‘surprising’.

“As overall winner, Thunderclap perfectly embodies this sense of freshness, of opening the pages on a completely new reading experience.

“We recognise that there is, of course, a particular poignancy in the posthumous award of poetry book of the year to John Burnside for Ruin, Blossom.

“As well as his own work, John Burnside was the backbone of creative writing at St Andrews University and helped launch the careers of many novelists, poets, memoirists and others.

“We wish he could have been with us to see the marvellous spread of work to win the individual awards.”

Scotland’s National Book Awards take place annually and are open to writers who originate from, or who are resident in, Scotland, or books substantially about the work or life of a Scot, a Scottish question, event, or situation.