Canongate: The 40-Year Itch

Last month we looked at how Canongate are celebrating their 40th anniversary by inviting the nation's leading movers and shakers across the arts to nominate their favourite bright young writers. 

This 'storytellers of the future' project aims to find the future heavyweights of their fields, selected by big names such as David Shrigley, Chemikal Underground, and Alasdair Gray. Shrigley is a recent recipient of a place on the shortlist for the 2013 Turner Prize, having become a huge cultural presence thanks to the dry wit of his multi-disciplinary work. Glasgow's Chemikal Underground record label was formed in the 90s by The Delgados and plays home to such renowned lyricists as Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton. Gray of course needs no introduction as one of the true elder statesmen of Scottish arts. Although still best known for his groundbreaking novel Lanark, his restless drive to work in a variety of fields makes him an ideal nominator for the project.

This month, to help them find the 40 up-and-coming storytellers most likely to dominate in the next four decades Canongate are looking outwith the world of books and reaching into new media to locate the most exciting prospects Scotland has to offer. They're throwing open their (metaphorical) doors and inviting submissions from storytellers outwith the confines of the literary world, from artists, lyricists, filmmakers, designers, animators, performers, illustrators and many more besides. This cross-disciplinary approach aims to anticipate the changes currently occurring in the world of publishing, speculating how 'the book' might continue to evolve and diversify, and offering opportunities for the collaboration between formats that Canongate clearly sees as a big part of the future.

The aim is to find the multidisciplinary storytellers who may not be on the nominators' radars, but who could potentially lead their fields in years to come. Canongate asks those working in film, illustration, games, animation, music, art and performance to take a well-known story, myth or fable and reimagine it as something entirely new. The chosen finalists may get a chance to work with a Canongate author on a new piece of work, and could feature as a part of the 40th anniversary celebrations.

The brand new Canongate 40 website has just launched where you can find all the information you need on becoming a 'storyteller of the future,' as well as finding links to the new 40 book. Visit canongate.tv/forty and get involved!

In the coming weeks developments in the 'storytellers of the future' project will be announced, as well as details of a September launch event to bring everything Canongate 40 together. This extravaganza will feature award-winning authors such as Michel Faber reading alongside the Godfather of Tartan Noir, William McIlvanney, in an eclectic night hosted by South Bank's poet-in-residence Lemn Sissay.

In other 40th birthday news, a specially commissioned e-book of short fiction and art has been published and is available now. Showcasing work from Canongate's all-star roster of artists, the book titled simply 40 features artwork and writing by David Shrigley, Karl Pilkington, Matt Haig, Lemn Sissay, Rebecca Miller, Margaret Atwood, Yann Martel, Michel Faber, Philip Pullman, Alasdair Gray, to name a few. Also included is a piece by Ruth Ozeki, Zen Buddhist priest and author of A Tale for the Time Being, nominated last month for this year's Booker Prize. And the best part is, it's completely free!