New Writer 2026: Donna Louise Irvine

At school Donna Louise Irvine learned that her passion for Art and English were two distinct subjects that led to separate careers. When she was accepted to Gray’s School of Art she became an art student, then a primary school teacher, a wife, then a mother of four. Donna now combines her passions in her work as a professional artist. She paints landscapes as ‘emotional acres’ which aim to explore her interest in the interplay between landscape painting, storytelling, and the beautiful, expressive Doric dialect of Aberdeenshire.

In an effort to explore and develop her writing this past year she has participated in a poetry slam at The Lemon Tree, attended writing workshops, joined a writers’ group, and writes a quarterly experimental newsletter to her mailing list on her website. Writing and painting for the memories of her grandparents has proved to be the inspiration for her most ambitious creative idea yet: a book that she plans to be as crucial and unique to her next exhibition as her paintings.

Writing sample

‘Joe and Isobel Bruce were merry’t for sivinty fower year.’

The fact echoes in the congregation’s thoughts and is acknowledged by a nod, a tear, a smile. Pack’t and plottin’ as they are in their black finery on a het June efterneen, and a fine dryin’ day, in the painted pews in the auld, auld Kildrummy Kirk. The beerial plot, dug and dark as a mou’ wi’oot teeth is overlooked by a blue sky and the maroon rust of a heathered hill. In the opposite field to the gravesteens a buzzard circles, calling twice, above a pine tree with its roots above the grass, twisted like exposed veins. The roots tunnel underneath to the road, the artery that takes you nae far at aa to the hoosies they’d been born intae, Joe Bruce and Isobel Fraser, a road that leads to their dour-faced-lined-up schooling, back and forth on a horse and cairt, and claa’ing up a drainpipe to court the bonnie kitchen-deemie at the Kildrummy Inn. Young Joe, young Isobel, inside the albums happit wi stoor. A fwhyte frock, a dance, a dram - deep and high in the Vale of Alford they settle and sproot in their ain rented hoosie, chavvin’ awa at the Lawson’s ferm with a fair family growin’ year on year. Five loons, een quine. A hoosefae. And here now at the kirk saying fareweel are Joe and Isobel’s six sitting in a line by the pulpit: rich, weel travailed, baldyheided, grey. Their spouses stappit in behind, and us their children sat at the back. We, the parents of their great grandchildren, quietly sigh and greet for aa’ that Joe and Isobel had been and aa’ that they did for us, Granny and Granda. Our Granny and Granda Bruce.

Donna says:

'To win this award is an absolute dream. It means so much to remember, honour and celebrate my grandparents’ Doric dialect and the landscape they knew so well. What an amazing opportunity to learn how to realise the book and exhibition of paintings that I’ve thought about for so long. Thank you so much, Scottish Book Trust!'