Amy Liptrot is a Scottish journalist and author. She won the 2016

Wainwright Prize The Wainwright Prize is a literary prize awarded annually for the best work of general outdoors, nature and UK-based travel writing. In 2020 it was split into the Wainwright Prize for UK Nature Writing and the Wainwright Prize for Writing on Glo ...

and the 2017

PEN/Ackerley Prize The TLS Ackerley Prize is awarded annually to a literary autobiography of excellence, written by an author of British nationality and published during the preceding year. The winner receives £4,000. The prize was established by Nancy West, née ...

for her memoir '' The Outrun''.

Biography

Amy Liptrot grew up on a farm in

Orkney Orkney (), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago off the north coast of mainland Scotland. The plural name the Orkneys is also sometimes used, but locals now consider it outdated. Part of the Northern Isles along with Shetland, ...

and studied at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

. She lived in London for ten years, resorting to alcohol and drug use. After losing her job, her home, and her boyfriend because of her

alcoholism Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...

, she returned to Orkney to rehabilitate. She recorded her experiences there in her first book, '' The Outrun'', published in 2016. She gave birth to a child in December 2018. Liptrot had been without alcohol for eight years. As of 2024, Liptrot lives in

Hebden Bridge Hebden Bridge is a market town in the Calderdale district of West Yorkshire, England. It is in the Upper Calder Valley, west of Halifax and 14 miles (21 km) north-east of Rochdale, at the confluence of the River Calder and the Hebden W ...

West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan counties of England, metropolitan and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and east, South Yorkshire and De ...

, England. She contributed an essay on

wild swimming Open water swimming is a swimming discipline which takes place in outdoor bodies of water such as open oceans, lakes, and rivers. Competitive open water swimming is governed by the International Swimming Federation, World Aquatics (formerly kno ...

to ''Antlers of Water'', a compendium of Scottish nature writing produced during the COVID-19 pandemic. ''Includes an extract from Liptrot's essay'' Her book ''The Instant'' was published in 2022. It describes a year she spent living in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

after the period covered in ''The Outrun''.

Honours and distinctions

, 2016 *

, 2017

Bibliography

* '' The Outrun'' * ''The Instant''

Adaptations

In January 2022, it was announced that

Nora Fingscheidt Nora Fingscheidt ( ) is a German director and screenwriter. She has been a participant of the film festival since 2011 for her short films, winning the prize in 2017 for ''Without This World'' (''Ohne diese Welt''). She became widely known for ...

would direct a film adaptation of ''The Outrun'', and that

Saoirse Ronan Saoirse Una Ronan ( ; born 12 April 1994) is an American-born Irish actress. Primarily known for her work in period dramas, she has received various accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, with nominations for four Academy Awards and sev ...

would star in it as Liptrot, and produce it. Filming began in 2022 in Orkney. The film '' The Outrun'' premiered at the

2024 Sundance Film Festival The 2024 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 18 to 28, 2024. The first lineup of competition films was announced on December 6, 2023. Among the highlighted events included the premiere of a documentary about the 1980s rock band Dev ...

References

External links

* 1982 births Living people 21st-century Scottish women writers Writers from Orkney 21st-century Scottish autobiographers Scottish nature writers Scottish women autobiographers {{Scotland-writer-stub