Dr Kerri Andrews longlisted for Scotland’s Highland Book Prize

12 Feb 2026

• UCC Director of Creative Writing Dr Kerri Andrews is named on the 2025 Highland Book Prize longlist of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
• The prize honours writing that recognises the rich talent, landscape and cultural diversity of the Highlands.

Dr Kerri Andrews, Director of Creative Writing at University College Cork (UCC), has been longlisted for the Highland Book Prize 2025, one of Scotland’s key literary awards celebrating writing inspired by the landscapes, history and culture of the Highlands and Islands.

The longlist was announced today by the Highland Society of London in partnership with Moniack Mhor, Scotland’s Creative Writing Centre.

Dr Kerri Andrews is longlisted for her work Pathfinding: On Walking, Motherhood and Freedom, a deeply personal and thought-provoking exploration of how motherhood reshapes a woman’s identity, freedom, and relationship with the outdoors.

Dr Kerri Andrews is a writer, academic, and passionate walker whose work explores the deep connection between women, walking, and storytelling. The Highland Book Prize aims to recognise and promote literature that reflects the distinct voices, stories and environments of the Highland region.

Dr Kerri Andrews said: “I’m delighted to be longlisted for this prestigious award. To be amongst writers of this calibre – all of whom I deeply admire – is an absolute honour. I’m so grateful to the panel for choosing Pathfinding for this recognition.”

Twelve books were selected by a team of volunteer readers with a diverse range of backgrounds and experience, in conjunction with Moniack Mhor, the Highland Society of London, and the 2025 Judging Panel, who are: Jen Hadfield, poet and essayist, and winner of the 2024 Windham Campbell Prize; acclaimed multi-award winning fiction writer Cynan Jones; and Peter Mackay, poet, lecturer and broadcaster, and Scotland’s current Makar (national poet).

Congratulating Dr Andrews, Professor Stephen Graham, Head of UCC College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, said: “We are absolutely delighted to see Dr Kerri Andrews longlisted for The Highland Book Prize. Pathfinding: On Walking, Motherhood and Freedom is a remarkable piece of writing. This recognition is richly deserved and reflects Kerri’s exceptional talent as a writer.”

Each of the longlisted titles will be celebrated in a series of events supported by the William Grant Foundation. The shortlist will be announced in May 2026, and the winning announcement is to follow in June 2026.

Creative Writing at UCC

In September 2025, Dr Kerri Andrews joined UCC as Director of Creative Writing and Programme Director of UCC’s Masters in Creative Writing.

Dr Andrews describes the programme as a space built around writers and the realities of writing practice: “By working each week with published authors and people from the publishing world, we connect students to a wider community of writers, in Ireland and beyond. The programme gives writers time and room to write, alongside others who are serious about the work and asking similar questions. Our aim is to support writers in developing their practice and in finding a way to work that feels sustainable, focused, and creatively productive.”