2010-2011 Neil Gunn Writing Competition

3rd June 2010

This biennial competition is organised by The Highland Council and The Neil Gunn Trust; the 2010-2011 competition, the eleventh, is now open and entries are invited. The lead judge is Scottish author Andrew Greig.

Theme for 2010-2011 : 'A Wrong Turning'
"Our river took a wrong turning somewhere! But we haven't forgotten the source."

Highland River, Neil M Gunn

Writers are invited to interpret this theme in any way they wish. The piece of writing does not have to be set in Scotland; any international setting is welcome.

Sections
There are 4 separate sections of the competition.

Adult prose (Narrative form)
Adult poetry
Secondary school (S3-6) poetry or prose
Primary school (P5-7) poetry or prose
Each writer may submit only one entry per section. The adult sections are open to all writers worldwide. The schools competition is for Highland Council schools or schools abroad with direct links to Highland Council schools. School entrants must be in the named year group at the closing date.

Entry forms, rules and full information
The entry forms are attached on this page together with everything you need to know to enter this competition. Entry forms are also available from any Highland library.

Closing date and Prizegiving
The closing date for all sections of the competition is Friday 11 March 2011. Winners will be notified as soon as possible and the award ceremony will be held in Inverness on 14 June 2011.

Entry fee
The entry fee for adults is £5 per entry; entry is free for school pupils.

Previous prize winning entries
The winning entries from the 2009 competition can be viewed (and in some cases heard being read by the authors) by visiting www.ambaile.org.uk and entering 'Neil Gunn competition' in the search box.

For full details and entry forms go to
http://www.highland.gov.uk/leisureandtourism/libraries/neilgunn/

1.The competition will be judged in 4 separate sections:
• Adult prose (1st prize £500, 2nd prize £250, 3rd prize £100)
• Adult poetry (1st prize £500, 2nd prize £250, 3rd prize £100)
• Secondary school (S3-S6) prose or poetry (1st prize £100, 2nd prize £60, 3rd prize £40)
• Primary school (P5-P7) prose or poetry (1st prize £50, 2nd prize £30, 3rd prize £20)

2. The adult competition is open to all writers worldwide.

3. School entrants must be in the named year groups on the closing date. The school
competition is limited to Highland Council schools and schools abroad which have direct
links with Highland Council schools.

Contact
For further information please contact Charlotte MacArthur, Area Libraries Officer, Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch Strathspey and Lochaber. Email charlotte.macarthur[AT]highland.gov.uk or phone 01463 663828.

The 2009 entries can be seen at
http://www.highland.gov.uk/leisureandtourism/libraries/neilgunn/neilgunn2009.htm

Note
Daniela Norris who won second prize in the adult section of the 2009 Neil Gunn competition has gone on to publish a book with a co-author Shireen Anabtawi. The book called "Crossing Qualandya" is series of letter between the two women one Israeli and the other Palestinian.

Daniala and Shireen were at the Eden Court theatre on Tuesday 1st June 2010 speaking to an full house about their meeting and experiences of how they met in Geneva and their subsequent letters. Daniela Norris was asked to officially launch the 2010/11 Neil Gunn Competition. They hope to follow this book up with another taking on further relating their experinces in their troubled homelands and in some small way show how differences can be overcome between two people from different backgrounds. It is at this level they hope that their experince might alleviate someof the problems between their respective countries. A fascinating insight into a major world problem from two talented and individual ladies.
Buy the book at http://www.reportagepress.com/books-name.php?book=46

Neil Gunn Web site http://www.neilgunn.org.uk/