Ron Butlin is the current Edinburgh Poet Laureate (Makar). In 2009 he was made the first Honorary Writing Fellow of the University of Edinburgh, together with Ian Rankin. He has published over a dozen books, several of which have won Scottish Arts Council Book Awards, and his work has been translated into over ten languages.
The Sound of My Voice was the winner of the Prix MillePages and Prix Lucioles (both for Best Foreign Novel), and was included in the recent Guardian’s 1000 Books You Have To Read and The List’s 100 Best Scottish Novels. A play based on this novel was presented by the Glasgow Citizens Theatre and subsequently ran throughout the Edinburgh Fringe Festival at the prestigious Assembly Rooms.
Besides his BBC radio plays much of his of poetry and fiction has been broadcast in Britain and abroad. He has participated in major literary festivals world-wide (including Toronto, Paris, Melbourne, Oradea, Lisbon, Utrecht, Dublin, Murcia, Listowel). Through the auspices of the British Council and others, he has given lectures and readings across Europe and beyond, including Canada, Australia, the Middle East and Nigeria. In Mauritius, he edited Mauritian Voices, the first-ever anthology of writing Mauritian writing in English. He was chosen by the British Council to be Scotland’s writer-representative at the first-ever New Writing Worlds Symposium at the University of East Anglia (June 2005).
He was Poet-in-Residence at the National Galleries of Scotland (2004) and has been commissioned to work with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the BBC Scottish Symphony, the Hebrides Ensemble and the Edinburgh String Quartet. He has written ‘poetry’ texts for composers and several opera libretti. Most recently he was commissioned by the SCO to write the central poem for Edward Harper’s 2nd Symphony and the composer Lyell Cresswell with the librettos for The Perfect Woman and The Money Man, both commissioned by Scottish Opera
His most recent works include the novel Belonging, ‘A gripping read . . . a real page-turner’ (Guardian), which was also a BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime. His collection of short stories is No More Angels: ‘an emotional roller-coaster. . . If you love great books, read this, then everything Ron Butlin has penned.’ (Daily Record)
Work in Progress includes a novel, The Invisible Woman (working title), a play Sweet Dreams and a new collection of poetry, The Magicians of Edinburgh.
He lives in Edinburgh with his wife, the writer Regi Claire, and their dog.