Sea Bean by Sally Huband wins the 2023 Highland Book Prize
Sea Bean: A Beachcomber’s Search for a Magical Charm by Sally Huband has been named as the winner of the 2023 Highland Book Prize.
Praised by the judging panel for its ‘engaging, subtle voice’, Sea Bean (Penguin, 2023) was selected from a shortlist of five. The judging panel were poet and essayist, Jen Hadfield; novelist and short fiction writer, Cynan Jones; and poet, lecturer and broadcaster, Peter Mackay.
Presented by the Highland Society of London and facilitated by Moniack Mhor, Scotland’s Creative Writing Centre, with support from the William Grant Foundation for public engagement, this annual award celebrates the finest published work that is created in or about the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. The prize aims to recognise the literary talent of the region, and the rich and diverse work inspired by its culture, heritage, and landscape.
Judge Jen Hadfield said, “Sea Bean finds fellowship between mortal souls in language that is luminous, transparent, uncluttered, precise, and poetic. Huband’s beach finds are revelatory and underline the interconnection of people, species and materials across the world; there is a delicacy in the way she treasures the most fragile and robust lives.”
Judge Cynan Jones said,“Sea Beanis a magic trick! It brought wave after wave of image, within which the concerns of the book are carried in ways that land with authenticity and compassion. Despite the careful craft in the writing itself, there’s a vulnerability in the text – a readiness to be honest – that makes it all the more affecting.”
Judge Peter Mackay said, “This is a very well-paced, thoughtful and often fascinating mix of nature writing and personal memoir. There are stories of selkies, witches, and orcas which somehow still feel freshly combed from the beaches of Shetland. A very engaging, subtle voice.” Peter Mackay
Sally Huband said of the news, “I’m deeply grateful for this award. It will give me the impetus to keep writing about disability, a subject that has yet to receive the space that it deserves in the literary world. Sincere thanks to Moniack Mhor, The Highland Book Prize and to all the judges.”
For further information about the Highland Book Prize and the winning title, please contact highlandbookprize@moniackmhor.org.uk