Winners of the Readers of Edinburgh 2026 photography competition

This is Alistair at his house. He collects comic books from around the world and keeps them in perfect order in his room, where he reads and creates music. As he goes trough his collection, he takes a moment to look at the lens, relaxed and in his element. Although the room is full of ornaments, comic books are the main protagonist, there are no other distractions. His honest looks invites us to his space, but only as spectators.

This is a digital multiple exposure created from 35 individual photographs which cover every bookshelf in the flat I share with my partner. Fiction, poetry, non-fiction, nature, art, cultural heritage, photography, mythology, crafting and cookery books as well as collected items, ornaments, and even our household thermostat, all merge into one massed abstract image, where only traces of details remain to be seen. Our book collection has gathered over many years, and it is part of my conscious and subconscious mind. I like the idea that this image bridges both psychological realms.

Scottish sunshine will take it out of you, especially after days of music on Tiree. Having just finished the last page of her book, she simply dropped it over her face as an emergency sunshade and passed out on the sand by the volleyball net. It made me laugh, but it’s such a genuine, intimate moment of someone completely switching off. This snapshot is now a reference for a new painting emerging in the studio.

This is Deirdre amongst her bookshelves. Deirdre and her longtime partner, David, are technically my live-in landlords, but after living there for a year, I have come to refer to them both as my roommates. We share meals, celebrate each other’s birthdays, and even watch football together.

Our Morningside house is filled head-to-toe with all kinds of books. Recently, I had the pleasure of finding out that Deirdre is also an avid reader of French literature – my mother tongue. We now spend mornings unpacking the family dynamics of French authors. I feel at home away from home.

I had been watching this light for a while, a week maybe. I’m pretty sure people will eventually get sick of me sharing photos our bookshelves, so I waited for a portrait. My wife had just come back from the gym, I only had my phone to hand. This is what we made.

Moving out of Dean Village and losing this window view was a necessary decision, but that did not make it any easier. I would sit there for hours, reading and people watching. From wedding photoshoots, floating ducklings, a kilted man climbing to a flat through a window, wild otters, a snow day… I have seen so much out of that small room. There are still way too many videos of dogs jumping into the Water of Leith on my phone. But I have not been back since and this is the only reading photo I have from that time.

Beautiful warm sunny day in Edinburgh. About noon so New Town area is nice and quiet. People on the move, busy bees. Meanwhile, their four legged friends are dreaming while waiting for their comeback. Dreaming about lying on their legs, soaking in the sun while the human is looking at that white smelly something.