The Kelpies Prize for Writing and Illustration

Winners Announced!

We are delighted to announce the winners for the Kelpies Prize for Writing and Illustration 2026:

Christine Irvine and Susan Mitchell!

Keep reading to find out more about the winning entries, or download the press release.

This year, we had more entries than ever before, so congratulations once again to all of our talented shortlisters!

Meet the Winners

Christine Irvine is a queer writer from East Kilbride who now lives in Glasgow. She loves writing characters that don’t quite fit, and hopes her stories comfort any young people trying to figure out who they are.

Christine grabbed the judges’ attention from the off, and they thoroughly enjoyed her skilled weaving of lyrical storytelling with drama and tension.

Susan Mitchell began illustrating to allow her to work from home when her son was born. She now designs her own greeting cards and other products, and runs workshops for adults and children in Edinburgh.

The judges loved Susan’s charming, tactile textures, characterful creatures and her use of a pleasing palette evocative of the Scottish landscape.

Award Ceremony

The winners were announced by award-winning author and poet Nadine Aisha Jassat at the Grassmarket Centre in Edinburgh. You can watch the full event on our YouTube channel.

Kelpies Prize 2025

The winners of the Kelpies Prize 2025 were announced by author and artist Alice Melvin at Edinburgh’s Grassmarket Centre.

Tem Rae Wilder was the winner of the writing prize, while Joshua Dau won the Kelpies Prize for Illustration.

You can find out about our previous winners here.