Still time to enter - Neil Gunn Writing Competition 2021/22

16th January 2022

High Life Highland and the Neil Gunn Trust are delighted to announce that from Monday 20th September 2021, the 21/22 Neil Gunn Writing Competition is open for entries.

The lead judge is distinguished author and patron of the Neil Gunn Trust, James Robertson.

There are 4 sections to the competition. Rules, which give full entry information, and entry forms are available in the ‘Downloads‘ section. For residents in Highland, rules and entry forms are also available from your local library, including mobile libraries.

The Adult Poetry section and Adult Short Story section are open to all writers worldwide. The writing should be inspired by one of the following quotes from works by Neil Gunn: -
"Wild Geese Overhead" (book title)
"But already, behind, the new wave was gathering volume, massing itself, steadily advancing." (Morning Tide)

The schools' sections are open to pupils in selected year groups who attend Highland Council schools.

The secondary section is open to pupils from S3 - S6, whose writing should be inspired by one of the following quotes: -

"They turned from the known world behind and faced the moors". (Highland River)
"It was very quiet, with a quietness that was tall and far, delicate as a leaf, and soft-footed as the grass." (The Well at the World's End")

The primary section is open to pupils from P5 - P7, whose writing should be inspired by the following quote: -

"It is a terrible thing to be bursting with a secret you can't tell." (Young Art and Old Hector)

The closing date for all sections of the competition is Friday 04 March 2022.

The entry fee for adult sections of the competition is £8 per entry.

For more information and for application forms go HERE

Neil Gunn Trust