Article Source: Scottish Book Trust
Last Updated: 6 April 2021 13:08
The ‘Your Stories’ campaign is open to everyone, regardless of writing experience. This year’s theme is Celebration, with the hope of shedding light on the positives of an otherwise difficult year. The submission can be about celebrating yourself, celebrating a loved one, or sharing how you celebrate.
Douglas Stuart won the 2020 Booker Prize for his debut novel, Shuggie Bain (Picador), set in Glasgow in 1981, exploring love, poverty and pride.
Douglas said: “As someone who grew up in a home without books, I understand the importance of stories. They bring together families, friends and communities. Your Stories is an opportunity for the people of Scotland to pick up their pen and share their experiences: from the small steps to the bigger milestones. Our nation is rich with culture, language and traditions, and this is the perfect time to celebrate and treasure them.”
Submissions can be made in English, Scots, or Gaelic in any form – story, poem, comic strip, play or letter – of up to 1,000 words. Every entry will appear on Scottish Book Trust’s website and a selection of pieces will be published in a free book distributed to libraries, community groups and schools during Book Week Scotland (15 - 21 Nov 2021) – the national celebration of books and reading.
Scottish Book Trust has also commissioned authors to share their stories to mark Celebration. Author Elle McNicoll will explore her journey writing Show Us Who You Are (Knights Of) during lockdown, and the overwhelmingly positive response she has had from the neurodivergent community. Poet Courtney Stoddart will celebrate writing as a form of resistance. Author Ross Sayers will share fond memories of his English teacher, reflecting on school as a writer now himself.
Morag Law, author of Cuibhle an Fhortain (Wheel of Fortune, Luath Press), describes the pleasures of a new garden built during lockdown, and poet Eòghan Stewart will explore celebration in a poem about joy, salvation and the many nuanced translations of the Gaelic word gàirdeachas. His first collection, Beum Sgeithe (Wing Beat), will be published by Acair Books later this year.
Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust said: “Sharing stories is a great Scottish tradition: whether over a drink or around the dinner table, we have a long-established culture of telling tales for comfort or entertainment. For many, Your Stories has been the tentative first step of sharing their writing. At Scottish Book Trust, we look forward to hearing about what you have celebrated over the last year, from the small successes to the bigger milestones.”
Alison Lang, Director of the Gaelic Books Council, said: “This year’s theme challenges us to find reasons for celebration in the midst of adversity. We hope Gaelic speakers will embrace the invitation to celebrate their language and tell their own stories – with some to be published alongside Morag and Eòghan’s pieces in this year’s Book Week Scotland publication. We are delighted once again to be working with Scottish Book Trust to encourage everyone to love reading and try their hand at writing.”
Scottish Book Trust will share a variety of prompts through their website and social networks to help inspire those hoping to submit. There will also be free, digital workshops run by poet Alice Tarbuck, writer Samina Chaudhry, playwright and poet Hannah Lavery, and film and TV writer Michael Lee Richardson. The digital nature of the workshops will allow the writers to engage with an audience no matter their location, allowing the opportunity to be as inclusive as possible. Given the current climate, online workshops can provide the public with a safe space to be creative, supporting positive mental health and wellbeing. For more information and to sign up to a workshop, visit Eventbrite.
Celebration is open for submissions from today until Friday 11 June 2021.
Submissions can be made online via Scottish Book Trust’s website or via post to:
Celebration, Scottish Book Trust, Sandeman House, Trunk’s Close, 55 High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1SR.
Inhouse Event Solutions CIC is thrilled to announce the return of the 7th Official Queens Park Arena summer programme 2024!
READ MOREA spectacular multimedia show celebrating Vincent van Gogh's life and stunning artworks is coming to Glasgow this summer!
READ MOREOpened in Spring 2023, the Glasgow city centre venue has become a hub for creative organisations, engagement work, and life-changing education initiatives in the city.
READ MORENational Theatre of Scotland launches a new interactive map for Scotland to demonstrate its love for the Big Yin, inviting people to share their own Billy Connolly memories.
READ MORETouring Scotland from June, the cast is announced for Hen Night Horror, an original musical comedy that promises to put the willies right up ye!
READ MOREAldi Scotland's popular 'Best Home Bar' competition has returned for another year, with a year's supply of beer up for grabs!
READ MORECharity Super.Mkt, the 'department store for second-hand style' launched a year ago by Maria Chenoweth and Wayne Hemingway, will open its 17th location with a prime spot inside Buchanan Galleries!
READ MOREThe first opening road bridge across the River Clyde is a step closer to completion as the first section of the Renfrew Bridge has arrived in Renfrewshire.
READ MOREEllie Leach, reigning champion of Strictly Come Dancing, will make her stage acting debut as Miss Scarlett in the world premiere UK tour of Cluedo 2!
READ MOREThe exclusive 4-year deal will see fan-favourites like Pravha, Madri Excepcional and more on tap at Scotland's home of live entertainment.
READ MOREPaisley Food and Drink Festival returns to the town this weekend for a two-day feastival with plenty for everyone to sample and enjoy.
READ MOREWith a staggering 14 million adults in the UK unable to swim, the team behind The Learn to Swim National Framework has launched a new campaign to encourage adults in Scotland to learn the life skill.
READ MOREGlasgow Cocktail Week has officially kicked off with a first look at the event's new boujee bar Courtyard Bar and event space in the stunning surroundings of Princes Square.
READ MORE34.2 million Brits admit to ditching work and responsibilities for sporting events.
READ MOREBritish fashion label AllSaints has joined the line-up at leading retail and leisure destination Silverburn, representing a fashion coup for the centre.
READ MOREGlasgow's most popular brunch series, VEGA's Brunch Project, will bring all of the 90s nostalgia and Ibiza island vibes to the city centre this spring for sky-high boujee brunches like no other.
READ MOREVisitors are invited to celebrate National Tea Day with a complimentary gift of tea and biscuits from the popular tea store, Whittard of Chelsea at Buchanan Galleries.
READ MORENow in its 30th year, the show is the go-to exhibition for any self-builders or renovators looking for practical tips, expert advice, or the chance to view 1000s of products.
READ MOREButeFest, the much-loved family-friendly music festival on the Isle of Bute, has confirmed the lineup for this year's edition, set to take place between Friday 26th - Sunday 28th July.
READ MOREAye Write has confirmed stand-alone events and a smaller-scale version of Wee Write in 2024, instead of the full festival going ahead.
READ MOREGlasgow Cocktail Week has unveiled a series of cocktail trails mapping out the very best discounted drinks across the city including its first ever 'No and Low' trail.
READ MOREScotland's home of country, Maggie's Rock 'n' Rodeo, is inviting folk to grab the mic at its new Sunday afternoon event – The Hoedown Hoe-K-Oke, launching Sunday 5th May!
READ MORELatest investigations by National Trust for Scotland archaeologists at Culloden Battlefield have recovered a wide range of artefacts.
READ MOREBroadway and West End phenomenon Kinky Boots The Musical, is strutting back to Glasgow in a brand-new production starring Strictly's Johannes Radebe and rising star Dan Partridge!
READ MOREThe People's Palace, Glasgow will close its doors for the final time on Sunday 14th April, ahead of a major refurbishment.
READ MOREDon't miss out on the Baby & Toddler Show when it returns to Glasgow at the SEC, Glasgow on 19th - 21st April!
READ MOREThe Theatre Royal, Glasgow is one the latest venues set to see the National Theatre's global smash-hit production of War Horse visit as part of a major 18-month UK and Ireland tour.
READ MOREWith a new season brings new flavours and Glasgow Restaurant Week is set to shine a spotlight on the very best dishes and delights the city has to offer, when it kicks off tomorrow!
READ MOREFollowing its purchase by M Core in February, Buchanan Street’s iconic Princes Square has announced a trio of new tenants who will be opening stores in the centre.
READ MORECalling all golfers! Topgolf Glasgow is hosting 'The Final Round – Live' on Sunday 14th April, it's an unmissable event to celebrate golf's most prestigious tournament!
READ MOREGo Radio | Number 1 for Glasgow & The West - Listen on DAB, Online or on your Smart Speaker, just say "Launch Go Radio"