Successes 2006-2007

Trophy upon trophy for Ayr Writers’ Club

In March every year, members of Ayr Writers’ Club represent the club at the Scottish Association of Writers’ (SAW) annual conference, currently held in Erskine. The weekend event draws writing clubs from the length and breadth of Scotland.
The SAW conference gives even the beginning writer a chance to mingle with well-established writers such as Margaret Thompson Davies, Evelyn Hood, Alex Gray and Maggie Craig, amongst many others. As well as the talks and seminars, there are 14 different competitions for the delegates to enter, covering a wide range of genres from short stories, articles and poetry to one act plays and novels.
Such is the calibre of Ayr Writers’ Club members’ writing that they have a history of doing well in these contests, despite the fierce competition from talented and well published writers from all over Scotland. 2006 was no different.
Norman B Lothian won the T C Farries Trophy for a Children’s Book, while Helena Sheridan scooped the Drama trophy for the second year running. AWC’s Past President, Debby Broughton-Hay got a third in the Helensburgh Trophy for a General Short Story while current President Catherine Lang had her poem commended in the Dorothy Dunbar Trophy, originally donated by a founder member of Ayr Writers’ Club. Treasurer Janice Johnston had short stories commended in two different competitions, as well as a Highly Commended Humorous Article.
Members Ann Burnett and Rowena M Love were not able to enter the competitions as they were adjudicators. Both are very experienced writers who feature in the Live Literature Scotland database run by the Scottish Book Trust.