In her essay, Hrivina writes about returning from Scotland to Kharkiv during the full-scale war and her search for literary female figures through whom she tries to make sense of the city and her own experience.
The prize’s final shortlist also includes:
- Suhada Tatke — A Place With a Name;
- Steven Stewart — Bield;
- Iain Houston — Borrowed Memories;
- Gemma Neville — Crunch;
- HL Ronnie — Notes on an Unfinished Memoir;
- Kenny Farquharson — One Handful of Earth;
- Eve Livingston — Panning for Gold;
- Polly Clark — Speaking Animal;
- Esa Aldegeri — When Did the War Begin?.
The finalists’ texts focus, among other things, on the war in Afghanistan, the Holocaust, migration, motherhood, traumatic memory, nature, Scotland’s local traditions, human–animal relationships, and the experience of war.
The competition jury includes the poet, essayist and critic Gerry Cambridge and the journalist, presenter and writer Zara Janjua. At the initial selection stage, they were also joined by the chief executive of Wigtown Festival Company, Isla Rosser-Owen.
The winner will be announced on 4 October during a special event at Bladnoch Distillery as part of the Wigtown Book Festival. The laureate will receive £1,500 and the prize trophy. The winning essay will be published on the Wigtown Book Festival and The Herald websites, with an extract appearing in the newspaper’s print edition.
Anne Brown Essay Prize was established by the Wigtown Festival Company in partnership with The Herald newspaper. The prize recognises literary essays by authors from Scotland or those with a long-standing connection to the country. Submissions may be on any topic, with a maximum length of 4,000 words.
The prize is dedicated to the memory of Anne Brown (1942–2021), former chair of the Wigtown Festival Company, a radio journalist and a senior BBC producer. In 2026 it will be awarded for the fifth time. Previous laureates were Sarah Whiteside, Rodge Glass, Dani Garavelli and Tamara Fulcher.