Rush Christopher graduated from the University of Aberdeen with a First Class Honours in English Language and Literature. He was awarded the Senatus Academicus Prize, the English Literature prize and the English Medal awarded to top scholar. Offered the Lucy Research Fellowship, tenable at Peterhouse, Cambridge, he elected instead to enter Scottish Schools spending his career schoolmastering, mostly at George Watson’s College, Edinburgh, teaching English.

 He received the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters conferred by his alma mater in 2014 in recognition of literary achievements. An Honorary Fellowship of ASLS was conferred in 2015 “…in recognition and admiration of the valued and major contribution which he has made to the support and enrichment of Scottish Literature… The honesty, scope and depth of his continuing work, not to mention his contribution as a teacher, attracts our deep respect.”

 Appearing regularly in the press, Chris is also a regular contributor to the literary journal, Slightly Foxed and has appeared with Libby Purves on her Radio 4 book programme. A regular at literary festivals, his most recent talk was at the National Library of Scotland to mark the recent 400th Shakespeare anniversary.

 Awards: Won six Scottish Arts Council bursaries; two SAC book awards (for Peace Comes Dropping Slow and A Twelvemonth And A Day); twice short-listed for Scottish Book of the Year Award (again for Peace Comes Dropping Slow and Twelvemonth); and short-listed 1988 for McVitie Scottish Writer of the Year for screenplay of Venus Peter based on own book, A Twelvemonth And A Day, which was subsequently chosen by The List as one of the 100 Best Scottish Books of All Time.