Stonehaven writer Marka Rifat has been awarded this year’s prestigious Toulmin short story prize and is also featured on a new Christmas audio card.
“It’s a great honour to be chosen for the Toulmin Prize, created in 2008 to commemorate the work of Aberdeenshire writer John Reid who wrote as David Toulmin,” said Marka.
The award event was held on October 3, at the University of Aberdeen’s main library, as part of the five day WayWORD literary festival.
“Short stories for the Toulmin Prize have to feature some aspect of North-East life and can be in Doric, Scots, English, or a blend. I took a chance on setting my story way in the future and far from earth, where under-appreciated mining colonists, in an effort to enrich their monotonous life, delve into their earliest ancestry, and trace their roots to North-East. They introduce traditions and place names from across Grampian with the gusto of many an ex-pat Scot,” Marka said.
The event was opened by Richard Bennett, Lead Toulmin judge, Doric poet Sheena Blackhall read one of David Toulmin’s many engaging stories, and then Marka performed her story, Thyme’s Arrow.
It is the first time a science fiction story has won the award, generously sponsored by the Reid family. Three of his grandsons, who treasure memories of their creative and determined grandfather whose writing career began to flourish when he was nearly 60, attended the ceremony.
Richard Reid presenting Marka with her award (photographer David Watts)
“Richard, Martin and Steven Reid kindly spent time after the ceremony telling me about times with their grandfather, his deep love of cinema and how he almost became a cinema projectionist. He clearly enjoyed others’ stories as well as creating his own, becoming one of the great exponents of Doric,” added Marka.
https://www.abdn.ac.uk/elphinstone/news-events/news/24733
Marka also features in audio Christmas card
Just before the award was announced, Marka learned that her voice and poems are now on an audio Christmas card produced by Spiracle, a new, British-based audiobook e-commerce platform.
“I had submitted some winter-themed poems for Spiracle’s project and was delighted that two were chosen. I was absolutely thrilled to be asked to record them in Spiracle’s studio in London and record poems by three other writers. Professional actors, such as Emma Fielding, have also recorded poems for the ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas & Other Poems collection.
“I worked for many years in radio news, so while being in a studio was familiar, presenting poems there was new! Spiracle’s Audio Producer Kate Bland made it a lovely experience.”
‘Twas The Night Before Christmas & Other Poems is a greeting card with a QR code to access a collection of classic and modern poems offering “warmth, humour, and surprise in equal measure” and is available now.
Feature image: Marka performing her prize-winning writing, watched by Toulmin grandsons Steven Reid, right, and Richard Reid, centre. Photo courtesy of David Watts