WRITERS and publishers are being urged to ensure they submit their nominations for prestigious Scottish book awards on time.
Nominations for the 2015 Saltire Literary Awards close on Friday, with a shortlist being drawn up by September.
The awards, run by the Saltire Society to celebrate and support Scottish literary achievement, are run on a voluntary basis by the panel of expert judges.
This year's categories include First Book of the Year, History Book of the Year, Research Book of the Year and Poetry Book of the Year as well as a separate award for Publisher of the Year, accompanied by a £4,000 cash prize.
For the first time, the Literary Book of the Year award has been split into two categories for fiction and non-fiction, each taking a prize of £2000.
Jim Tough, executive director of the Saltire Society, said: "The Saltire Literary Awards allow us to recognise and celebrate the contribution and exceptional talents of all of Scotland's writers.
"As the popularity of Scottish writing continues to grow, we felt it only fitting that the awards once again be expanded so that they are able to represent the full breadth of the Scottish literary landscape.
"We are hugely grateful to our partners the National Library of Scotland, the Scottish Poetry Library and Scottish Historical Review Trust. Their continuing commitment and support allow us to celebrate Scottish authors and give them the profile that they deserve.
"The November Awards Ceremony will be an essential date in the calendar for anyone interested in Scottish literature, past, present and future.
"To have a chance of competing for this year's awards, anyone considering submitting a nomination should make sure they have done so by close of play on Friday, May 1. Once the deadline has closed, we will begin the intensive process of determining this year's shortlist from what I'm sure will be another excellent field."
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