The acclaimed author will share his story and love for his hometown Edinburgh over afternoon tea as part of a once-in-a-lifetime writing trip to Scotland’s capital with Forever Edinburgh.
To celebrate Alexander McCall Smith’s new Edinburgh-based novel and the Scottish capital’s celebrated links to literature, a competition has been launched offering a literary trip to the capital that money cannot buy, including afternoon tea with the world-renowned author. .
The author recently published The riddle of garlic the 16the and the latest installment of his global bestseller Scotland Street, 44 series, which follows the fictional story of life on a real street in his beloved hometown, Edinburgh.
As the Year of Scottish Stories comes to a close, the literary-themed competition (www.edinburgh.org/literaryprize) has been launched by the city’s official destination brand Forever Edinburgh as part of its the story never ends campaign, which sheds light on Edinburgh’s culture, events and history, including its remarkable literary heritage.
The winner of the competition will enjoy a trip to Edinburgh, which became the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature in 2004, and the icing on the cake will be afternoon tea with Alexander McCall Smith at The Signet Library, one of the best Georgian buildings in Edinburgh.
The prize package for the winner and one more includes a trip back to Edinburgh, a city with links to a variety of acclaimed authors past and present, including Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Walter Scott, Dame Muriel Spark, Arthur Conan Doyle , JK Rowling, Sir Ian Rankin OBE and Irvine Welsh.
The prize package also includes two nights’ accommodation at the 5-star Balmoral Hotel, where JK Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
The winner will also enjoy meals at The Printing Press, which occupies the former George Street home of 19-year-old Scotland’s answer to Jane Austen.the turn-of-the-century novelist Susan Ferrier, where frequent guests included Sir Walter Scott and Robert Burns; Badger & Co, located inside the childhood home of Kenneth Grahame, author of the children’s classic The Wind in the Willows; and Superico Restaurant, with cocktails at Superico Bar and Lounge, which are located a short walk from 17 Heriot Row, the 1857 boyhood home of Treasure Island author Robert Louis Stevenson.
Additional elements of the prize are visits to the Writers Museum and the iconic Scott Monument, the largest monument to a writer in the world, and tickets to the award-winning Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour.
To enter the competition, visit Edinburgh.org; The deadline to participate is Friday, December 16, 2022 at 11:59 p.m.
Alexander McCall Smith CBE said:
“Edinburgh is an absolutely charming city and it is no wonder that it has captivated and inspired many writers and poets. This is a wonderful competition to celebrate the city’s literary heritage and I look forward to meeting the winner over afternoon tea at the Signet Library.”
Cammy, Edinburgh City Council Leader Added day:
“This is an excellent opportunity to win a fabulous trip to Scotland’s capital, the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature. From the iconic Scott Monument that greets train passengers at Waverley Station to the countless monuments to writers and thinkers, Edinburgh has a rich literary heritage, with much to discover and enjoy.
“Forever Edinburgh continues to deliver excellent value to Edinburgh’s visitor economy through its popular Story Never Ends campaign. I am sure that this last element of their promotional activity will be very well received by companies of all shapes and sizes”.
Edinburgh has long been a paradise for literature lovers. From the annual Edinburgh International Book Festival in August, which welcomes approximately 800 authors from almost 40 countries and attracts over 225,000 visitors a year, to smaller neighborhood events like the Portobello Book Festival. and its network of more than 50 bookstores, is a must-see. visit for literary tourists.
A multitude of fascinating literary experiences abound throughout the city, including literary-themed places to stay such as Stevenson House, the former home of Robert Louis Stevenson; and the National Museum of Scotland, home to a treasure trove of world-class exhibits including the Scotsman Printing Press, a working scale model of the printing press used for two centuries to produce The Scotsman newspaper, as well as Ewan’s signed script. McGregor for the 1996 film of the Irvine Welsh novel train sighting.
Edinburgh is also home to the National Library of Scotland, the leading center for the study of Scotland and the Scots, the Library of Scottish Poetry and the Scottish Center for Storytelling, as well as institutions that promote literacy, including the Scottish Book Trust, a national agency for readership development. and the Makars Court and Writers Museum, which commemorates Scottish writers and poets.
To find out more about Edinburgh’s literary tourism experiences, visit the Edinburgh City Guide.