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The Saltire Society's 'Outstanding Women of Scotland' 2017

Ten women have been inducted into the Saltire Society's "Outstanding Women of Scotland" hall of fame.

Arctic explorer Myrtle Simpson, forensic scientist Dame Sue Black and singer Horse McDonald were honoured at Glasgow Women's Library.

Theatre critic Joyce McMillan and political activist Remzije Sherifi were also among those recognised.

Previous inductees include First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and the Scots Makar Jackie Kay in 2015.

Last year's outstanding women included Sarah Brown, JK Rowling and Annie Lennox.

The Saltire Society is a "non-political membership organisation celebrating Scottish imagination in all its forms".

It created the "Outstanding Women of Scotland" community in partnership with Glasgow Women's Library.

"Remzije Sherifi's life is an inspiration," says Sarah Mason.

She was one of the first female radio journalists in Kosovo at only 17. She lost her job in 1992, and almost lost her life as the Milosevic regime tightened its grip on the Albanian people who lived there.

As the war in the Balkans spread, Remzije was forced to flee and was evacuated to Glasgow on medical grounds from a refugee camp in Macedonia.

She currently runs the Maryhill Integration Network who operate a programme of activities in health, learning, art and dance to bring communities together.

Sandstone Press published Remzije's novel, Shadow Behind the Sun, in 2007. The book was shortlisted for the Saltire Society's Scottish First Book of the Year Prize: 'The first substantial book to emerge from the wave of new Scots who havearrived here in the last decade from war zones across the world.'

Adapted from an article on www.bbc.co.uk, published on 7 March, 2017

Remzije Sherifi

Remzije Sherifi