Bold Types! Please join me on an ADVENTURE...
The annual creative writing competition at Glasgow Women's Library is an iconic part of the Book Week Scotland calendar, celebrating the poetry and prose of women writers across Scotland and beyond. Bold Types - in its previous incarnation as the Dragon's Pen competition - is also especially dear to my heart as the first writing prize I ever won: for "The Clyde" in 2014 and "Knowledge" in 2016, marking GWL's 25th anniversary. Those poems are two reasons amongst many why I'm beyond honoured to be returning to the library as a judge for this year's contest!
Joined by the award-winning children's author Maisie Chan, with whom I was lucky enough to collaborate at a CILIPS school libraries event earlier this year, and the wonderful Wendy Kirk, GWL's lovely and legendary librarian, I can't wait to read the creative contributions of Scotland's women writers. Aligning with Book Week Scotland's theme, the prompt for this year's competition is ADVENTURE - where the story goes next is up to you!
Please email your short stories and poems of up to 1000 words (either in a Word Document or typed in the body of the email) to info@womenslibrary.org.uk with Bold Types Competition Entry in the subject line. You can enter once in each category, with a new piece of writing that hasn't been submitted elsewhere.
The closing date for entries is 5pm on Friday 29th September and shortlistees will be notified by 5pm on Friday 27th October. Shortlisted writers will read their stories and poems on Thursday 16th November at our online Bold Types Creative Writing Showcase with the overall winners announced on the night. Prizes include a one-to-one mentoring session with Maisie or myself!
Be bold, writers, and please submit your work for me and Maisie to enjoy. An amazing adventure awaits...
For further inspiration, check out my own Bold Types adventure through the past decade:
* "Two Readers," shortlisted short story (my first ever professional recognition as a writer) 2013
* "The Clyde," winning poem, which went on to appear in the Mixing the Colours anthology and podcast series, 2014-15
* "Knowledge," winning poem, marking GWL's 25th anniversary, 2016
* "Library," shortlisted poem, 2019 (here's me and Wendy with the rest of the shortlist and our judges, Alycia Pirmohamed and Alison Irvine)!
When I first walked into GWL back in November 2013, I never dreamed that it was only the opening chapter of a literary career that continues to have this gorgeous Glasgow library at its heart. Be bold and keep the adventure going... please submit your poems and stories to us!
