Carcanet is delighted to announce that Edwin Morgan's A Book of Lives has won Sundial Scottish Arts Council Book of the Year Award. The ceremony was held on Friday 20th June at the Borders Book Festival in Melrose, and was hosted by writer and comedian Rory Bremner.

A Book of Lives was described as a triumphant achievement in one of the most illustrious and influential literary careers in the history of Scottish literature. It was further suggested that the collection is a powerful distillation of the remarkably diverse range of themes, styles, and forms that characterise Morgan’s endlessly inventive poetic world. Morgan was commended for confronting global issues such as the ‘war on terror’ and major historical events closer to home, such as Bannockburn or the opening of the Scottish Parliament, the result of which is a collection of remarkable personal candour and intimacy.

Describing the book Edwin Morgan stated:

'I believe there are no barriers in subject matter or style in poetry. And you can only persuade people of that if you're actually writing it....If it's any good, the collection must be more than just a book of lives. The title is meant to set you off thinking, off on a course of ideas.'