Strathpeffer-based author hosts HighlandLIT writing competition ceremony as winners revealed at hybrid Book Week Scotland event
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
The winners of HighlandLIT’s 2021 writing competition read their work at a hybrid Book Week Scotland event.
Held both at the Glen Mhor Hotel and on Zoom, entrants were asked to write up to 500 words of prose or 20 lines of poetry on the theme of ‘Celebration’.
The awards were made by Strathpeffer-based storyteller, songwriter and musician Bob Pegg who chose the winning entries and the highly commended pieces after an initial sifting by the HighlandLIT Committee.
Bob Pegg said of picking out the winners: "I was looking for whatever made a story or poem come alive, whatever seemed fresh, intriguing, unexpected, side-stepping convention."
HighlandLIT chairman Mark Williams said: "The evening was indeed a celebration of the works of so many talented writers living in our area, covering a wide range of interpretations of the theme, but all demonstrating our collective resilience under the adversity that the pandemic has brought to us all but which has not dampened our spirit.
"We wish to thank all who entered for their contributions, and Bob Pegg for so ably judging and hosting the event."
In the prose section, first prize went to Meg MacLeod, second to Brenda Lawrence, and third to Georgina O’Brien.
Highly commended were Stewart Struthers and Rhiannon Stradling.
In the poetry sections, first prize went to Lynn Valentine, second to Lilias Noble, and third to Meg MacLeod. Highly commended were Jayne Austin and Tim Williams.
The evening concluded with Bob Pegg reading some of his own work.
The winning entries have been published on the HighlandLIT website at https://www.highlandlit.com/2021writingcompetition.
