Two past winners and three Edinburgh-based publishing houses feature in this year’s shortlist for the Saltire Society Publisher of the Year Award.

The shortlist includes last year’s winner, Dingwall-based Sandstone Press alongside 2013 winner Saraband, based in Glasgow.

Also featured on the list are a trio of Edinburgh based publishing companies including Black and White Publishing, founded in 1999, children’s book and adult non-fiction specialists Floris Books and Luath Press.

The list is completed by Glasgow-based Freight books, which was set up in 2001 and recently acquired fellow Glaswegian publishers Cargo.

This year’s winner will be announced as part of the Saltire Literary Awards ceremony on November 26 and will receive £4000.

The judges also have the option to award a commendation to a second shortlisted publisher, accompanied by prize money of £500.

The shortlist was drawn up by a judging panel including representatives of Creative Scotland and Publishing Scotland alongside a experienced members of the Scottish publishing industry.

Saltire Society Executive Director Jim Tough said: "Once again, this year’s shortlist is very strong and demonstrates the huge diversity within the Scottish publishing industry in terms both of scale and style."

www.saltiresociety.org.uk

Michael Boyd, the former artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company as well as the Tron Theatre in Glasgow is to direct a new production for the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh.

The production is being made with the Theatre Royal Bath Ustinov Studio and the Bush Theatre.

Written by Catherine-Anne Toupin and translated by Chris Campbell, Right Now is a "disquieting exploration of one woman’s crisis and darkest desires."

Right Now was originally written and performed in French as A Présent by Québécois actor and playwright Catherine-Anne Toupin, and presented by Théâtre de la Manufacture at Théâtre la Licorne, in Montréal.

Michael Boyd said: "My first professional show was with the Traverse in 1980, directing Marcella Evaristi's Hard to Get, with a baby Maureen Beattie, and Peter Kelly.

"It's great be returning now with Catherine-Anne Toupin's intriguing, funny, and unsettling play, and it's also great to be working on my first show with the Bush Theatre, and continuing a happy relationship with the Ustinov."

Right Now opens in the Traverse Theatre on April 19 and there will be seventeen performances, including two matinees, before the run ends on May 7

www.traverse.co.uk