SCHOLARSHIP UPDATE
Sir Ian Rankin Awards Writing Scholarship
One of the world ’ s renowned crime writers , Sir Ian Rankin , has awarded special writing scholarships to three students from Fife College .
Popular for his fictional character Rebus , Sir Ian generously supports the annual creative writing scholarship which this year was awarded to students Stephanie Philbin , Murron Carscadden and Eileen Walls .
The Ian Rankin Scholarship is open to all full-time students , giving all students with a creative flair the opportunity to submit a piece of writing and have their work read and judged by the celebrated author .
This year ’ s winning students each received £ 600 , a signed copy of his latest book , A Heart Full of Headstones , and the chance to meet Ian at a special presentation lunch event held at the College ’ s Kirkcaldy Campus training restaurant , The Academy .
A donor of the College ’ s scholarship programme since 2005 , Ian has supported 55 students , giving up his time to read and critique the written entries and providing feedback on the winners , as well as attending the presentations in person each year .
Sir Ian Rankin said : “ I thoroughly enjoyed reading all of this year ’ s scholarship entries . There was fantastic quality and range , along with the confident use of various techniques . All entrants used their imaginations and writing skills to good effect .”
“ It was lovely to get the chance to meet this year ’ s award winners , and previous winners , in person too . I hope their scholarships inspire them to great things and I wish them all the very best for the future .”
HND Counselling student , Eileen Walls , from Dunfermline said : “ I was absolutely delighted to hear that I had been awarded an Ian Rankin Scholarship . Writing poetry has always been one of my greatest loves in life . To have my work read and critiqued by such a creative mind has been a real honour and a wonderful boost to my confidence .”
Lyn Gold , Scholarship and Alumni Engagement Lead at Fife College , said : “ Ian has been offering this scholarship for 18 years now , inspiring over 50 students in that time . We are so grateful for his ongoing support which we know makes such a difference to our students .”
Ian Rankin Creative Writing Scholarship 2023 winning entries :
Stephanie Philbin Writer in a Coffee Shop ( PDF )
Murron Carscadden Free Sample ( PDF )
Eileen Walls The Lossscape ( PDF )
Adam Smith Scholarships , part of Fife College , is one of the largest college scholarship programmes in Scotland , awarding thousands of pounds each year to support students , develop opportunities , open doors , and transform lives .
For further details about scholarships at Fife College visit the Adam Smith Scholarships page or email scholarships @ fife . ac . uk .
Page 3