Herald Magazine

The Anne Brown Essay Prize for Scotland has been awarded to Edinburgh-based Sarah Whiteside for her profoundly personal story about autism within her family.

On the short journey from Washington DC’s Union Station to our hotel, there was a moment of excitement as street after street was suddenly closed off by police. As our Uber driver sensed out-of-towner excitement at what world-shaking newsworthy event we might be nearing, he moved to settle us down, advising, “Hey, there’s always something happening around here.”

The six-strong shortlist has been unveiled for the annual Anne Brown Essay Prize for Scotland – which champions Scottish writing talent.

I went to the Fringe last year and I was like, “why did no one ever tell me it was like this?!?!?!?!?” It was a spiritual experience and I had to be a part of it. Especially because I don't think anything could exist like this in The States

I was on a student exchange program and ended up living in Ayr for about six months. When I used to visit Glasgow or Edinburgh and tell people where I’m at, they’d go: “Ayr?” Where’s that?” and I’d instantly feel more Scottish

My show - Like, Nobody’s Watching - is stand-up hour about being a reality TV superfan growing up, and what that’s done to my relationship with the real world.

Suicide, stalkers, fathers abandoning their families and heading off into the war in Ukraine. Despite the heavy subject matter, Fringe first-timer Anna Akana's show It Gets Darker manages to leave audiences feeling energized and hopeful. It's less a dwelling on death than it is a celebration of life. Akana is most known for her Youtube channel, where she creates comedic mental health content, and her stand up is no different. She weaves in sharp educational insights with absurdist humor - did you know that suicide is the leading cause of death for Asian American teens? We must stop that. It's her target demo. Her follower count is dropping, but not if she can spread her message in time.

Jazz Mattu is back for his second year at the Fringe

My show is called Benevolence. Mention Africa and everyone automatically thinks charity. We are synonymous with being given. There’s a charity for every aspect of an African, food, water, air, vision, even toes.

My show is a comedic solo show entitled UNSTUCK, and it's about the intersection of my Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and my sexuality. Using standup and storytelling, I communicate what it was like growing up with an undiagnosed mental health disorder, and how that impacted the development of my sexuality, specifically my queerness.