Wednesday November 5th 2025
Ali Bowden receiving her award from Lord Provost Robert Aldridge at the City Chambers
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
The first Director of Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Ali Bowden was officially presented with the coveted Edinburgh Award by the Lord Provost Robert Aldridge yesterday evening at a civic reception at the City Chambers.
Since 2007, the Edinburgh Award has celebrated individuals who have made a truly unique contribution to the city and brought the Capital to national and international attention. Nominations are invited annually from Edinburgh citizens and the recipient is selected by the Civic Awards Committee. Previous recipients include bestselling authors, human rights activists and world-famous sportspeople.
Alongside family, friends and invited guests, Ali received an engraved Loving Cup from the Lord Provost, an official award certificate, and a set of her handprints preserved in stone in the City Chambers quadrangle was unveiled.
The Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, and Chair of the Edinburgh Award Panel, Robert Aldridge said:
“It was a pleasure to present Ali Bowden with the Edinburgh Award in honour of her outstanding dedication to promoting and enhancing this city’s rich literary heritage.
“Ali’s handprints are now immortalised in stone at the City Chambers quadrangle, and she deservedly follows in the footsteps of some of the finest individuals associated with our great city.
“Ali has done much to promote Edinburgh to the world, celebrating the positive and inclusive impact literature has on this city. Her dedication and passion for literacy and education in our communities, and for our city as a whole, its people, its legacy and its future is an inspiration to us all.”
Ali Bowden said:
“It is such an honour to receive the Edinburgh Award and I’m absolutely delighted. I’m thankful to the many, many wonderful and gifted people I’ve worked with across the years, the volunteers and professionals, in big institutions and small community groups, across the city and internationally.
“Together we helped shape what it means to be the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature, and I feel lucky to have been part of that story. I’m proud to live in a city that loves its books, stories and learning, and knows that reading and writing can change lives.”
Previous Edinburgh Award recipients:
2024 Mel Young MBE
2023 Nicola Benedetti
2022 Sir Geoff Palmer
2021 Fergus Linehan
2020 Alexander McCall Smith
2019 Ann Budge
2018 Doddie Weir
2017 Sir Timothy O’Shea
2016 Ken Buchanan MBE
2015 Sir Tom Farmer
2014 Thomas Gilzean
2013 Richard Demarco
2012 Dame Elizabeth Blackadder
2011 Professor Peter Higgs
2010 George Kerr CBE
2009 Sir Chris Hoy MBE
2008 JK Rowling OBE
2007 Ian Rankin OBE
