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.