Northern Scot journalist Lewis McBlane nominated for Local Feature Writer of the Year at Scottish Press Awards
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A MORAY journalist has been recognised for his excellence in feature writing after being shortlisted for a national award.
Lewis McBlane, who works for The Northern Scot and its sister titles across the north-east, has been nominated for Local Feature Writer of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards.
It is the first award that Lewis (25) has been nominated for in his career as a journalist. He will be vying with four others for the title, including fellow Highland News and Media reporter Alan Hendry.
"I'm still relatively new into being a reporter and a journalist," Lewis, who started at the Scot in January 2022, said.
"I always wanted to be a reporter but talked myself out of it a bit while I was at university. I'm really happy I decided to go for the job at The Northern Scot and get involved with journalism.
"It made me proud when I saw the paper's name alongside mine for the award because it's a big team effort. Chris and Joe, the editors, and all of the reporters have been great.
"There's a good creative and collaborative atmosphere. That's important and the stories wouldn't be what they are without the support of the team.
"I struggle with being insecure about the work I put out and find it difficult to accept that I've done something worthy of being shortlisted for an award.
"But I'm definitely proud of what I've done and it makes a difference to get some recognition."
Lewis graduated from Stirling University with an Honours degree in journalism and politics in 2019, before doing a Master's in political theory in York.
The former Forres Academy pupil moved home to Moray, initially to Rafford and then to Aberlour, to take the job at the Scot at the start of 2022.
Since then he has covered the area he grew up in, writing a number of feature stories on Moray and Aberdeenshire. The three stories that saw him shortlisted for Feature Writer of the Year vary greatly in subject.
The first is on Banff's famous Elvis impersonator Gary Stuart, the second was on Ukrainian refugee Liubov Buriak, who was re-homed in Ellon, and the third was on a 'thief' returning a book to Elgin Library after almost 70 years.
Lewis added: "The range of stories that I've been able to write has been brilliant.
"Banff Elvis was a good one. All the credit goes to my editor Chris because he put me onto that task as he was fascinated by Gary Stuart.
"It was a whirlwind conversation with Gary that lasted about 45 minutes. He talked about everything from his love life to budgies – it's not one I'll forget soon!
"It was a real privilege to go to Ellon and speak to Liubov Buriak. She gave a different perspective to stories I'd heard of Ukrainian refugees as she was a middle-aged woman on her own, leaving behind her husband and dogs in Ukraine.
"The conversation was at her host's kitchen table and was done through her speaking Russian into a translator app on her phone. The app didn't understand Ukrainian. The amount of emotion and communication that came through was amazing.
"Shelagh Toonen from Elgin Academy Library got in touch to explain the 'book thief' situation and I thought it deserved a longer story. That was a really nice piece and we got lots of really good pictures to take the story to life."
Richard Neville, chair of the Scottish Press Awards judges, said: “The pressure on journalists and news organisations continues to grow every year and, despite the incredible challenges the industry faces, the quality of entries to The Scottish Press Awards continues unabated.
"While selecting the winners has been as difficult as ever, it has been clear throughout the process that Scotland is being well served because of the value our journalists and editors are placing on telling great stories, in every format.”
For more information and to view the award shortlists, visit: www.scotns.org.uk/2023/04/21/scottish-press-awards-shortlist-announced
