Ulster-Scots Writing Competition 2024

28 June 2024

The Linen Hall Library has announced details of the 2024 Ulster-Scots Writing Competition.

The Linen Hall has announced the fourth annual Ulster-Scots Writing Competition, with support from the Ulster-Scots Agency.

This exciting literary event will take place this summer, celebrating and showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the Ulster-Scots community.

The competition will feature two categories – prose and poetry – providing a platform for aspiring writers to showcase their talent.

Each category will have a £500 cash prize for the winner, while one runner-up from each section will be awarded £250.

The winners will be revealed during Ulster-Scots Language Week in November 2024, and their entries published in a special edition anthology.

This year, the distinguished panel of judges lending their expertise to the adjudication process will be Professor Wesley Hutchison, Dr Jennifer Orr and Matthew Warwick. 

Linen Hall Director, Julie Andrews, said: "Now in its fourth year, the Ulster-Scots Writing Competition is one of highlights of the literary calendar in Northern Ireland, especially for the Ulster-Scots writing community.  It showcases the talent of writers and gives them a platform to build a writing career, as well as richly demonstrating the vitality of Ulster-Scots.  We continue to be grateful to the Ulster-Scots Agency, who generously sponsor the competition, and whose support helps us to sustain a vibrant linguistic and cultural tradition that is at the heart of our unique and extensive collections here in the library." 

Ian Crozier, CEO, Ulster-Scots Agency, added: "Writing in the Ulster-Scots language has gone from strength to strength over the last five years and that is in no small part due to the success of the Ulster-Scots Writing Competition delivered by The Linen Hall with support from the Ulster-Scots Agency.  Many exciting, new Ulster-Scots writers have emerged and grown in confidence over that time with different writers winning the competition over the years.  We look forward to receiving the entries from this years' competition and would encourage anyone with an interest in the Ulster-Scots language to try their hand at writing and submitting an entry." 

Entrants are encouraged to submit their work by 5pm on Friday 30 August 2024.

For more information, competition entry guidelines and how to submit an entry, please visit: www.linenhall.com/ulster-scots-writing-competition