Alan Spence

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	Photo: © Calum Colvin

Biography

Alan Spence was born in Glasgow and is a poet, novelist, short story writer and playwright. He is Professor in Creative Writing at the University of Aberdeen and, with his wife, runs the Sri Chinmoy Meditation Centre. He has been the Artistic Director of the Word Festival since 1999.

His poetry includes two books of haiku: Seasons of the Heart (2000); and Clear Light (2005). A further collection, Glasgow Zen was first published in 1981, and an expanded edition republished in 2002. His short story collections are Its Colours They Are Fine (1977) and Stone Garden (1995), which won him the 1995 Scottish Writer of the Year Award.

In 1990, Alan Spence published his first novel, The Magic Flute, and this has been followed by two further novels: Way to Go (1998), and The Pure Land (2006), based on the life of Thomas Glover.

His published plays are Sailmaker (1983), Space Invaders (1983), Changed Days (1991), and The 3 Estaites (2002).

His latest book is Silver: An Aberdeen Anthology (2009), a selection of poems he edited with Hazel Hutchinson.

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Genres (in alphabetical order)

Drama, Fiction, Poetry

Bibliography

Plop!   Alan Spence, 1970

Its Colours They Are Fine   Collins, 1977

Glasgow Zen   (expanded edition pubished by Canongate, 2002)   Print Studio Press, 1981

Sailmaker   Salamander Press, 1982

Space Invaders   Salamander Press, 1983

The Magic Flute   Canongate, 1990

Changed Days: Memories of an Edinburgh Community   Hodder & Stoughton, 1991

Stone Garden   Phoenix House, 1995

Way to Go   Phoenix House, 1998

Seasons of the Heart   Canongate, 2000

The 3 Estaites   Edinburgh University Press, 2002

Clear Light   Canongate, 2005

The Pure Land   Canongate, 2006

Sailmaker Plus   (with Jane Cooper)   Hodder Gibson, 2009

Silver: An Aberdeen Anthology   (editor with Hazel Hutchinson)   Polygon, 2009

Read about books by Alan Spence at encompassculture.com - the British Council's book database and global online book club

Buy books by Alan Spence at Amazon.co.uk

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Prizes and awards

1990   Scottish Arts Council Book Award

1991   Glasgow Herald People's Prize   The Magic Flute

1993   Macallan/Scotland on Sunday Short Story Competition   ('Nessun Dorma')

1995   McVitie's Prize for Scottish Writer of the Year   Stone Garden

1996   Scottish Arts Council Book Award

1996   TMA Regional Theatre Award   On the Line

2000   Scottish Arts Council Book Award

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Further reading on this site

Edinburgh Bookcase
The British Council Literature Department and British Council Scotland showcase contemporary writers at the Edinburgh International Book Festival every two years, in partnership with the Scottish Arts Council. The Bookcase... more...   (09/06/2004)

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Contact information

Publisher (General enquiries) Canongate Books Ltd 14 High Street Edinburgh  EH1 1TE Scotland Tel: +44 (0)131 557 5111 Fax: +44 (0)131 557 5211 E-mail: customerservices@canongate.co.uk www.canongate.net

Agent Curtis Brown Group Ltd Haymarket House 28-29 Haymarket London  SW1Y 4SP England Tel: +44 (0)20 7393 4400 Fax: +44 (0)20 7393 4401 E-mail: info@curtisbrown.co.uk http://www.curtisbrown.co.uk

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Related links

http:/ / www.alanspence.co.uk

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