Graphic illustration of award-winner Gray

AS A septuagenarian and one of Scotland’s greatest literary figures Alasdair Gray is entitled to be a little bit curmudgeonly.

And he displayed all of that contrariness after deciding to accept one of Scotland’s leading literary awards – just days after saying he did not want it.

Yesterday there had been anticipation in the air as the audience eagerly awaited the announcement of the winner of the Saltire Society’s Scottish Book of the Year Award, and the £5,000 prize which goes with it.

On the shortlist was Gray, 76, who achieved great acclaim from the Society 30 years ago with the publication of his novel Lanark. He was facing tough competition for this year’s award – after being nominated for his autobiographical art book Alasdair Gray: A Life in Pictures – from other contenders including AL Kennedy, Jackie Kay, Ali Smith and John Burnside.

Gray was announced as the winner, but the moment turned to drama at the National Library of Scotland when Magnus Linklater, the Saltire Society’s new president, got to his feet and had to explain that the author had not turned up.

Pointing to a sheet of paper Mr Linklater said: “It says here ‘Acceptance Required’. But there will be no acceptance required because Alasdair Gray has refused to accept the award. Now why am I not surprised by that?”

Mr Linklater added that, at a hurried meeting before the awards took place, the judges had decided they would still go ahead and offer Gray the prize.

He asked Dr David Robb, a senior lecturer at Dundee University and the one of the prize judges who had earlier outlined the merits of A Life in Pictures, to break the news to Gray that his refusal of the award had not itself been accepted.

Last night Gray told The Scotsman why there had been confusion, saying that he only changed his mind about accepting the accolade after being told that the Society had refused to accept his own refusal.

“I didn’t snub the awards or change my mind”, he said. “I was given the Saltire Award all those years ago for my novel Lanark. While I was glad of it, I said I didn’t want any more awards.

“When my publishers told me I had been awarded the Saltire prize I said “oh, that’s nice” then remembered that I’d have to refuse it. They said “oh, that’s a pity, we’ll tell them.” I couldn’t have accepted it and have people say “success has corrupted you” or “you’re becoming mellow in your old age.”

“But then the Saltire Society refused my refusal. They said they would send me the money and I don’t have to attend ceremonies and smile smugly at people. I was rather cheered and touched at this refusal to accept my refusal.”

He added: “My wife had been furious that I’d refused the award because from time to time we do need money and she doesn’t feel as secure as I feel she ought to. So, I’m pleased for her sake.”

“She always dreads the moment when the bank stops honouring my cheques,” he said. “That happened last year, though right now my income, which goes up and down, is in an up phase.

“If they post me the cheque I will certainly use the money for the furtherance of art in Scotland. Just don’t ask me how.”

Explaining why he had decided why to distance himself from the award after winning it for Lanark, he said: “I was in my late forties when I was given the Saltire Book of the Year for Lanark in 1982. At the time I announced that I would accept no more awards for Scottish sources because they ought to go to younger and less well-known – or less lucky – writers.” He added that he then thought – wrongly – that his money worries were over.

At the awards, James McGonigal won research book of the year for his biography of Edwin Morgan. The history book of the year was won by Emma Rothschild’s The Inner Life of Empires and First Book of the Year was Luke Williams’s The Echo Story.