Creative Writing graduate Zebib receives Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award. Zebib K. Abraham graduated from our MSc in Creative Writing in 2021. Originally from New York City, Zebib has a unique background, having first completed medical school and a psychiatry residency in the US before pursuing her passion for writing. Now splitting her time between Scotland and the US, Zebib works as a psychiatrist and continues to write. She was recently awarded the Scottish Book Trust’s New Writers - Callan Gordon Award 2025, an award that supports and recognises emerging writers who focus on short stories and poetry. Zebib K. Abraham, Creative Writing graduate (2021). Photo by John Need. When psychiatry met creative writingAs someone with an unusual route into the field, Zebib knows that starting to write can seem daunting. She advises aspiring writers to begin with some simple steps: start to write regularly, even if it’s just a few lines or pages here and there, and most importantly, write without expectations and with a lot of self-compassion. “For many months when I first started writing seriously, I simply journaled and did free-writing,” she explains.She doesn’t see her medical background as a hindrance, rather, Zebib shares how her careers in psychiatry and creative writing complement each other: “I see a lot of parallels between creativity and psychiatry, and these different disciplines also inform each other. I like to listen to stories, form an understanding of motivation, assumptions, fears, patterns. This is what we want to do in our own writing, as we come to understand a fictional world, its rules, our characters’ histories and motivations.” Zebib K. Abraham Creative Writing graduate (2021), psychiatrist and writer Another important aspect to Zebib’s writing practice is community. She highlights how it has helped to surround herself with supportive people who also write. She has found community many places: At home with her partner Lindz who is also a writer; at university with her peers in class and by attending events and workshops; and through involvement with the literary community in Scotland, including the Scottish BPOC Writers Network and the ESFF, an Edinburgh-based community for writers of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Finding motivation in Edinburgh After spending a summer in Edinburgh and St. Andrews in 2012, Zebib fell in love with the Scottish landscapes and history. She wanted to come back to Scotland and immerse herself properly in the rich literary tradition of Edinburgh. She explains that not only has studying at the University in Edinburgh helped her become a better writer, but being in the city of Edinburgh itself and experiencing the artistic landscape of the city has been valuable. Asked about what her time at the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures taught her, Zebib tells us she learned a lot about how to be self-motivated – an essential skill for any writer! “There was support and resources in our masters, but also unstructured time [...] I had to learn to seek opportunity and motivate my own forward momentum.” Doing the masters programme in Creative Writing meant that Zebib was “able to commit to my writing in a way I had only dreamed of doing previously.” Writing mentors and inspirationsEven though Zebib has received awards and prize nominations over the last few years, including a recent Pushcart nomination in 2025, she sees her decision to commit to writing as her greatest achievement. She explains that she has wanted to write since she was young, but confesses that she only occasionally wrote in the past: “I had to overcome a hurdle of inertia to truly invest in writing as my parallel career and passion!” Now her main source of inspiration comes from her partner, Lindz McLeod, who puts a lot of hard work and depth into their writing. Zebib also takes inspiration from her supervisors at Edinburgh and particularly admires their dedication to helping students consistently create better and richer works. “I learned so much from my mentors in the programme, especially Kim Sherwood. It was so helpful to regularly present my writing and be given constructive feedback.” Zebib K. Abraham Are you interested in Creative Writing at Edinburgh?Based in the first UNESCO World City of Literature, our one-year, full-time taught masters programme is tailored towards your practice in either fiction or poetry.Highlights include our annual industry event and creative writing conference, and lots of opportunities to share your work, including From Arthur’s Seat and a range of writing awards. Find out more on the University of Edinburgh Degree Finder Related linksFind out more about the Scottish Book Trust New Writers AwardsVisit Zebib K. Abraham's website Tags English and Scottish Literature Meet our graduates Postgraduate Publication date 02 Jun, 2025
