The William Soutar Writing Prize

2006

This is an annual competition, now in its fifth year, organised by Perth and Kinross Council Libraries and Lifelong Learning. Alternating annually between poetry and short stories, the competition forms an integral part of The Word’s Out! festival, running from October 23rd to 28th. The 2006 theme is poetry.

Prize

A course at Moniack Mhor, the Arvon Centre in the north of Scotland, plus publication in a poetry pamphlet which will include this year’s outstanding runners-up.

Judge

Tessa Ransford, poet and founder of the Scottish Poetry Library, has agreed to judge the William Soutar Writing Prize. She will announce the winner at the Poetry in the Winery event at The Word’s Out! festival on Wednesday 25th October.

Rules

• All entrants must be 16 years of age or over
• Poems must not exceed 40 lines (not including title)
• A maximum of three poems may be submitted
• All entries must be typed, one poem per sheet of paper, single-sided
• Three copies of each poem submitted must be provided
• Entries may be in English or Scots
• The competition is open to anyone throughout and outside the United Kingdom
• All poems are judged anonymously and the name of the poet must not appear on the manuscript
• Poems must not have been previously published
• Competition entries cannot be returned – please do not include a pre-paid envelope
• The Judge’s decision is final and no correspondence can be entered into
• Alterations cannot be made to poems once they have been submitted
• Entries must be accompanied by an entry form
• There is no entry fee for this competition
• The copyright of each poem remains with the author
• The authors of the winning poem and the outstanding runners-up grant Perth and Kinross Libraries the right to use the poems in publicity material for one year from 25th October 2006
• It is the entrant’s responsibility to ensure that the above rules are adhered to

Closing Date

The closing date for entries is Friday 8th September. The winner will be notified in mid October with the formal announcement as described above. Unsuccessful entrants will not be individually notified. The winner’s name, and the names of those to be published in the pamphlet, will be posted on our website at: www.perthshire.com/libraries

Entry Form

Your details:

Your poems:

Entry Address:

Entries, marked 'William Soutar Writing Competition', should be sent to:

Caroline Beaton
A K Bell Library
York Place
Perth PH2 8EP