Author “saved” by writing wins £10,000 Dundee International Book Prize

Published On Fri 24 Oct 2014 by Grant Hill

An English debut author, who says an evening class where she discovered a love of writing saved her from her itinerant and chaotic twenties, has been named as the winner of the 2014 Dundee International Book Prize.

Amy Mason (32) received £10,000, the largest cash prize for an unpublished author in the UK, and a deal with Glasgow-based Cargo Publishing for her novel, ‘The Other Ida’. The funny, brave and moving book sees the eponymous heroine, named after a hit play written by her heavy-drinking mother, return home after the older woman finally succumbs to alcoholism.

Amy edged out her fellow finalist, Rachel Fenton after the pair saw off stiff competition from 400 other entrants before this year’s all-star judging panel comprising literary megastar Neil Gaiman, broadcaster Kirsty Lang, agent Felicity Blunt, publisher Scott Pack and former Man Booker Prize judge Stuart Kelly, made their choice.

Amy was presented with her award at a gala dinner staged as part of the Dundee Literary Festival at Apex City Quay Hotel & Spa on Thursday, 23rd October.

She said, “Winning the prize is obviously completely brilliant. I entered on a whim, and cried every time I got to another stage in the competition. To get the novel published, and enough money to keep me writing for a year, is amazing. It's taken a long time to get here, but I'm delighted I can put Ida to bed in such a happy way. I said I'd never write another book, but have already started on the next one. It's just an enormously encouraging thing to happen.

“I was interested in the fate of 'celebrity offspring', the pressure they face and how it often seems that the script for their lives is already written and is certain to end badly. With Ida I wanted to imagine a child being named after their parent's most famous piece of work, and the kind of additional angst and chaos that would provoke.

“I'm also really interested in people who lose fame, which is what happens to Ida's mother, so she has this weird semi-famous name, but the family haven't got money for food. It's about her trying to escape from the shadow of the play, and the terrible future that everyone expects for her. The book is about women too, really, flawed, funny women who are often painfully honest.”

Writer and performer Amy left school at 16 and has had more jobs than she can count. She admits to being a “disaster” throughout her twenties and says she was saved by an evening class at which she began to write, aged 25.

She currently lives in Oxford and her autobiographical show ‘The Islanders’, which she wrote and performed in, won the 2013 Ideas Tap/Underbelly Edinburgh Fringe Fund. It received 5- and 4-star reviews, was recommended in the Guardian and the Observer and was a ‘must see’ show in The Stage. The illustrated script was published by Nasty Little Press.

The Dundee International Book Prize, now in its 10th year, is organised by the Literary Dundee initiative, and Dundee City Council's 'One City, Many Discoveries' campaign.

Councillor Will Dawson, Convener of City Development at Dundee City Council, said, “Dundee One City, Many Discoveries is proud to support the Dundee International Book Prize, a world-class competition for aspiring authors that has grown to attract entries and participation from all corners of the globe.

“Now in its 10th year, the Dundee International Book Prize is a fitting tribute to our city’s great literary heritage and has successfully contributed to putting Dundee on the literary world map.”

Helen Sedgwick, Joint Managing Director of Cargo Publishing (UK), said, “Amy Mason has a unique voice, and in ‘The Other Ida’ she has created a cast of vivid, surprising characters and a story unlike any other. We are thrilled that the Dundee International Book Prize has again discovered a writer of such talent and skill.”

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