A remarkable chapter of Dundee’s past has received national recognition, as Wrighting Wrongs and the Frances Wright 200 Project has been named the winner of the Alan Ball Award 2025 for the best UK hardcopy local history book.

The award, established in 1985, celebrates excellence in local history publishing across the United Kingdom and is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious honours in the field.

The success of Wrighting Wrongs marks a proud moment not only for author Roger Illsley but also for the Nine Incorporated Trades of Dundee, whose support played a vital role in bringing the project to life. Entirely researched, written, and produced in Dundee, the book stands as a testament to the city’s enduring commitment to preserving and celebrating its own heritage.

The adjudicators praised the publication in glowing terms, noting,

“We had a large number of entries this year and the judges thought that your publication was outstanding in every way. It is full of well‑researched content, brilliantly written and beautifully produced, bringing to life notable members of the Wright family and the social and economic context within which they lived their lives.”

This recognition highlights the book’s exceptional scholarship and storytelling, as well as its ability to illuminate the lives of the Wright family—figures whose influence stretches across Dundee’s industrial, social, and intellectual history. Central among them is Frances Wright, the pioneering Dundee-born reformer whose bicentenary inspired the project.

The Nine Trades’ support was instrumental in enabling the Frances Wright 200 Project to reach its full potential. Their involvement reflects a long-standing tradition. The Trades have, for centuries, championed education, civic improvement, and the preservation of Dundee’s cultural legacy.

By backing Wrighting Wrongs, the Trades helped ensure that an important strand of Dundee’s story was researched with care, presented with clarity, and shared with audiences far beyond the city’s boundaries.

Author of the book, Roger Illsley, added,

“I’m delighted that a part of Dundee history is being recognised in this way, in a book that was entirely produced in the city, and would like to thank The Nine Trades again for the major part you played in supporting the project and enabling its success.”