Call-out for volunteer book readers
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Are you a keen reader with a passion for books? – then organisers of the annual Highland Book Prize would like to hear from you.
The body behind the annual award is looking for volunteer readers to help out with drawing up its longlist for the 2020 prize.
Established in 2017, the Highland Book Prize aims to bring recognition to books created in or about the Highlands.
It is presented by the Highland Society of London and facilitated by Moniack Mhor Creative Writing Centre.
Entries can be works in fiction, non-fiction and poetry.
The window for submissions for the 2020 prize opened on June 10, but closed on Wednesday, August 19.
The 2019 Highland Book Prize saw over 80 books by 50 different publishers submitted and reviewed by a panel of 105 volunteer readers comprised of industry professionals and avid readers.
Anyone interested in volunteering as a reader must be able to read and review as many as six novels in the space of seven weeks.
Readers' reports on the works – following a scoring criteria which will be provided by organisers – will have to be submitted before mid-October.
You don’t have to live in the Highlands to take part. Anyone can become a volunteer reader.
Potential readers should express their interest by sending an email to: highlandbookprize@moniackmhor.org.uk detailing:
Why you think you will make an excellent reader.
A list of the last three books you have read.
A short, three-sentence report on each of these books.
Organisers say the longlist will be announced in early November, and the shortlist in mid-February next year.
And the 2020 winner will be announced at the 2021 Ullapool Book Festival, which will hopefully go ahead as planned from Friday to Sunday, May 7-9.
At stake is a £1000 prize money and a week’s writing retreat at Moniack Mhor Creative Writing Centre.
For more information please visit www.highlandbookprize.org.uk or call 01463 741 675.
