2016 marks the fourth year of our Creative Writing Competition and coincides with our 25th anniversary celebrations. To tie in with this important birthday, the theme for this year’s competition was ’25 years’. Budding writers were invited to enter short stories and poems of up to 1,000 words and shortlisted entrants were invited to read their work at our Scottish Women’s Creative Writing Competition Showcase on Thursday 24th November.
Our panel of judges on the night included feminist poet and activist Nadine Aisha, novelist and short story writer Moira McPartlin, previous Bold Types winner and newly published novelist Ethyl Smith, and GWL’s own librarian, Wendy Kirk.
The panel had a tough time deliberating but we’re now delighted to announce that the winners of our Bold Types: Scottish Women’s Creative Writing Competition 2016 are Linda McLaughlin and Kirsten McQuarrie. Linda was the winner of our short story category with Wake-Up Call and Kirsten took the top spot in the poetry category with her poem Knowledge: 25 Words For Her, 25 Words For Me.
Congratulations to Linda and Kirsten and all the other women who were bold and entered our competition. You can read the first lines of their entries below and we’ll be publishing their full entries, alongside feedback from the judges, very soon.
Wake Up Call by Linda McLaughlin
A firefly sparks up and dances away as I sit gazing out over the skyline, the faint pulse of the day’s mild sunburn warm on my back.
Knowledge – 25 words for her, 25 words for me by Kirsten McQuarrie
The apple tastes sharp, Eve thinks
A briskness, like clarity.
