2012-2013 Neil Gunn writing competition - Still Time To Enter

1st December 2012

This biennial competition is organised by High Life Highland and The Neil Gunn Trust, who gratefully acknowledge the sponsorship of this year’s competition by Dingwall & Seaforth Ward 9, The Highland Council; Rhoda Michael; David Lynch of The Greenhouse www.thegreenhousedingwall.co.uk . We are delighted that the lead judge for this, the 13th competition, is Scottish author Jackie Kay.

The adult sections of the competition are now open following their launch on Friday 27th July 2012 by one of last year’s prize winners Michael Marett-Crosby. The launch took place at Eden Court Theatre in Inverness following the annual Neil Gunn Trust lecture which is held during the Inverness Book Festival.

The theme for both the adult prose and adult poetry sections is ‘The Tenderness of Stone’ which was suggested by Robert Davidson, one of the Neil Gunn Trustees. Writers worldwide are invited to interpret this theme in any way they wish – the entries do not have to be set in Scotland or during the time when Neil Gunn himself was writing. Please see the entry rules for full details about the competition. The rules and the entry form are available from the following link -

http://www.highland.gov.uk/leisureandtourism/libraries/neilgunn/

The schools section of the competition, which is open to Highland Council primary and secondary schools, launched on Wednesday 05 September and full details will be posted on this website at that time. Please note that the theme is not the same as for the adult sections of the competition.

The closing date for all sections of the competition is Friday 01 March 2013 and winners will be notified by mid-May at the latest. The award ceremony will be held in June 2013.
The winning entries from past competitions are on the Am Baile website www.ambaile.org.uk

Contact
The contact for this year’s competition is Lynsey Stein, Network Librarian with High Life Highland. Lynsey can be contact by email at lynsey.stein[AT]highlifehighland.com, by phone on 01349 883341 or by post at Alness Academy, Dalmore, Alness, Ross-shire, IV17 0UY.