Linen Hall Library announces Ulster Scots writing competition
With the support of the Ulster-Scots Agency, the library will host an Ulster-Scots writing comp this autumn
There will be two competition categories, one for prose and one for poetry. The winner for each section will receive £500 and one runner-up for each section will receive £250. The winners will be announced during Burns Week in January 2023 and the winning entries will be published in a special edition anthology. A distinguished panel of judges has been assembled to adjudicate comprised of Dr Frank Ferguson, Ally Heather and Dr Carol Baraniuk.
The deadline for entry is Tuesday November 1, at 5 pm, and below you can find the Ulster-Scots Writing Competition Entry Guidelines.
Linen Hall director Julie Andrews said: “The Ulster-Scots writing competition is a wonderful opportunity to illuminate new talent within the Ulster-Scots enthusiasts. The Linen Hall has significant Ulster-Scots language holdings which include the world’s largest collection of Scots poet Robert Burns’ items outside of Scotland. We are grateful to the Ulster-Scots Agency for sponsoring this competition for the second year."
Ulster-Scots Agency director of development Gillian Pearson said: “Ulster-Scots has a rich literary tradition, and we are delighted to partner with the Linen Hall Library for the second year to foster and encourage the tradition of Ulster-Scots writing. This competition offers a welcome opportunity both to highlight and promote contemporary Ulster-Scots writers and hopefully inspire others to re-engage with the language as well.”
Founded in 1788, The Linen Hall Library is the oldest cultural establishment in Belfast. Today, The Linen Hall is an accredited museum and a living archive that preserves the history of the future and holds world-renowned collections – including one of the most significant Ulster-Scots collections in Northern Ireland.
The Ulster-Scots Agency has been given the legislative remit of the ‘promotion of greater awareness and use of Ullans and of Ulster-Scots cultural issues, both within Northern Ireland and throughout the island’.
The aims of the Ulster-Scots Agency are to promote the study, conservation, development and use of Ulster-Scots as a living language; to encourage and develop the full range of its attendant culture, and to promote an understanding of the history of the Ulster-Scots. To find out more about the Ulster-Scots Agency, please visit https://www.ulsterscotsagency.com/.
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