The Kavya Prize aims to celebrate published work and new writing by Scotland’s ethnically diverse communities.

Founded by Indian-born Scottish author Leela Soma, the prize, in association with the Creative Writing Programme at the University of Glasgow, seeks to recognise and encourage writers of colour who are Scottish by birth, residence or formation.

The inaugural prize for full-length published works of fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry or short story collections will be awarded in May 2022 and is worth £1000. The winner will also receive a residency at Moniack Mhor, Scotland’s National Writing Centre.

In 2023, the prize will focus on shorter form writing by emerging writers. It will then alternate annually between honouring full-length published works and promoting new writing.

Kavya is a popular and well recognised word in Sanskrit and refers to a literary style or a completed body of literature that was used in Indian courts of the Maharajahs who nurtured the cultural arts in India.