A poet who writes in Gaelic has been voted on to the shortlists for this year’s Saboteur indie lit awards in the new “wild card” category. Marcas Mac an Tuairneir, originally from York, but resident in Scotland all his adult life, writes poetry, prose, drama and journalism in Gaelic and English. In 2014, he was awarded the Highland Literary Salon prize for poetry and both second and first place in the Baker Prize for Gaelic Literature. In 2015 he placed second in the national William Blake poetry prize, for his poetry in English and was a runner up in the Wigtown competition for Gaelic poetry.

He said: “As a writer in a minority language, I repeatedly find myself faced with the onslaught of globalisation, exemplified by the English language, and to that end it is a real honour to be able to foreground our community on the northern frontier, its literature and its culture."

Luke Wright has been shortlisted for best spoken word performer, and his show, What I Learned from Johnny Bevan, which he recently performed at the House of Commons, has been shortlisted for best spoken word show. He said: “Thank you to everyone who nominated Johnny Bevan. It's wonderful to have be work acknowledged in this way. I love this poem (can I say that?) I'm cock-a-hoop so many of you do too." Others on the best spoken word performer shortlist are Susan Evans, Emily Harrison (pictured), Jemima Foxtrot, and Sophia Walker, who is listed for for three separate awards.

The best regular spoken word night shortlist includes last year’s winners, Manchester’s Bad language, and Salford’s Evidently, London’s Liars League, Edinburgh’s Loud Poets, and Limerick’s Stanzas: An Evening of Words. The shortlist for best reviewer includes last winner Dave Coates, plus Joey Connolly, Emma Lee, Fiona Moore, and Bethany W Pope. 

Publishing team Ronnie Goodyer and Dawn Bauling at Indigo Dreams have notched up three listings: pamphlet publication Border Lines by Stuart A Paterson;  shortlisted for most innovative publisher; and also shortlisted for best magazine with Reach.

The shortlist for best collaborative project includes SJ Fowler, pictured, organiser of The Enemies Project. He said: "Hopefully The Enemies Project and the other nominees, and the popularity of the category itself, shows that collaborative methods are as intrinsic to poetry as they are to other mediums."

Voting for the winners starts today and ends on 24 May. Awards organisers Sabotage Reviews said that over 1,700 people made nominations this year. The results will be announced at Vout-O-Reenee's in London on 27 May. This year's awards are sponsored by Sacred Gin. You can find all the shortlists here. This year Sabotage have also included longlists in each category “by popular demand … 10 works or people that narrowly missed out on the shortlist. Some categories, such as best spoken word performer had over 300 separate people nominated.”

And we’re pleased to tell you that Write Out Loud has won a couple of mentions in the longlists – “wild card” for our website and “best reviewer” (Greg Freeman) - so thanks to everyone who voted for us!

Background: Two 'wild card' contenders