News and Events

At Scottish Book Trust we get lots of people telling us about different opportunities for writers in Scotland. Here's the current crop:

INVASION OF THE WORD DOGS SPOKEN WORD EVENT
8pm, 3rd December 2008, 13th Note, King Street, Glasgow

WordDogs is a twice-annual spoken words event held in Glasgow where professional writers and newcomers read tales aloud.

The theme for the December gathering is Invasion - from parasitic infestation, to troops on the streets. Fears, threats, probes. Horrific nightmare to heroic resistance, terrorist attack to plague cure. Interpret the theme in any way you feel suitable. Invasion of privacy perhaps?

For more information check out worddogs.wordpress.com
 

WEEGIE WEDNESDAY
Next meets at 7.30pm on 

Weds 17th Dec

Weds 14th Jan

Weds 18th Feb

Weds 19th March

At: Bar Bobar, Byres Road from 7.30pm on the above dates.
Weegie Wednesday began in January 2007, inspired by Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature’s salon night (last Tuesday of every month at the Wash Bar, upstairs). Writers, booksellers, publishers, librarians, or anyone who wishes to network and talk books is welcome. Please pass the word.

2009 WILD WRITING COMPETITION - The John Muir Trust is accepting entries for the 2009 Wild Writing Competition at the Fort William Mountain Festival. The competition, which is free and open to all, encourages both aspiring and professional writers to pen stories about Scotland’s landscapes and wild places. First Prize is a place on a Writing and Place course at Moniack Mhor, Scotland’s creative writing centre.

The closing date is the 26th of January 2009 for entries (not exceeding 1200 words) in English or Gaelic. The winning article will be published in the John Muir Trust Journal.
 
To download an entry form and view further information go www.jmt.org or www.mountainfestival.co.uk.

EVENTS FROM conFAB (www.confab.org.uk)

Vital Synz
Thursday November 27th at 7.30pm
Sloans in Argyle Street, Glasgow
Featured Poet: Ron Butlin. Tickets (for non-subscribers) on the door will be £8 and £5.
www.vitalsynz.co.uk  

TWO RAVENS PRESS continues to look for contributions to its new online literary magazine, Corvaceous. Check out the website for the kind of articles, interviews and new writing that would be appropriate, and send enquiries or contributions to sharon@tworavenspress.com. 

The Clare Maclean Prize for Scottish Fiction
In association with Aye Write! The Bank of Scotland Book Festival
The Clare Maclean Prize for Scottish Fiction is awarded to the Scottish writer who, in the opinion of the judges, has written the best novel that year. The prize is open to any full-length novel, written in English or Scots by someone either born in Scotland or having worked in Scotland for the 12 months prior to the award ceremony. The book must first have been published in the 12 months of the full year before the award is made (for the 2009 award, this is books published in 2008). A prize of £3,000 was awarded in 2008. For 2009, this will be £5,000. Download info sheet and entry form here.

Enviromental Literary Award launch
A new book award has been launched to promote environmental writing and celebrate the life's work of Scottish writer Robin Jenkins. The £5,000 Robin Jenkins Literary Award is granted to a work of either fiction or non fiction, and is sponsored by Forestry Commission Scotland, and managed by Cowalfest, a Walking and Arts Festival in the Cowal Peninsula. Russell Bruce, Chair of Cowalfest, explained that "a key theme of submissions for the award must be Scotland's environment, trees and forestry, and comes at a time when the value of our environment is increasingly understood." Full details of the award are available here.