Description: 'Like Birds in the Wilderness', a portrait of brickie Mac. He's a straightforward guy with a talent for laying bricks and a liking for the drink who decides to head to the oil-rich north to seek his fortune.
Brief description: Agnes Owens has been married twice and raised seven children, and has also worked as a cleaner, typist and factory worker. Her books include 'People Like That' and 'For the Love of Willie', which was shortlisted for the 1998 Stakis Prize. Her short stories have also appeared alongside those of her friends and fellow authors James Kelman and Alasdair Gray in 'Lean Tales'. 'Bad Attitudes', which consists of two novellas ('Bad Attitudes' and 'Jen's Party'), was longlisted for the 2003 Saltire Literary Awards.