Club Competitions
Ten competitions, for club members only, are adjudicated by guest writers. They give members a chance to try their hand at different forms of writing. All entrants will receive an individual critique on their submission from the adjudicating judge.
First, Second and Third placings will receive a Waterstones book token. First placings are also presented with a writing trophy at our Annual Awards Dinner evening in May, held at a local hotel.
Most of the club competitions are similar to those that are held every year by the Scottish Association of Writers (SAW) and entries for club competitions can usually be entered into the national SAW competitions as well
Our eleventh competition is something a little bit different. It’s a free-to-enter Drabble Competition – a story written in exactly 100 words. The theme will be given out a few weeks in advance, members will bring their pieces to the club on Wednesday 20th April, and all entrants will read their drabbles, live, for a panel of SAW Council adjudicators. First, second and third placings receive prize-winning book tokens, and the winner is presented with an engraved Little Bundle Box Trophy in recognition of their achievement.
2. Women’s Magazine Short Story Trophy
1500 – 2000 words. Theme – Open
Adjudicator: Kate Blackadder
Submission Closing Date: Wednesday 2 November 2022
3. Non-fiction Article (Elsie Miller Trophy)
1500 words. Theme – My natural world (not the title)
Adjudicator: Patrick Laurie
Submission Closing Date: Wednesday 23rd November 2022
4. Poetry (Jenny Cadas Trophy)
Maximum 30 lines. Theme – Vanishing habitats
Adjudicator: Em Strang
Submission Closing Date: Wednesday 14th December 2022
5. Novel Trophy
First 2500 – 3000 words, plus synopsis. Theme – young adult – future
Adjudicator: Ben Oliver
Submission Closing Date: Wednesday 11th January 2023
6. Children’s Fiction (Scotland’s Artists Trophy)
750 word short story for 8-10yrs. Theme: open, character based.
Adjudicator: Maggie Bolton
Submission Closing Date: Wednesday 1st February 2023
7. General Short Story (Ellie Hamilton Trophy)
Maximum 2000 words. Theme – Silver lining
Adjudicator: Ann Burnett
Submission Closing Date: Wednesday 15th February 2023
8. Drama / scriptwriting (Ayrshire Chamber Trophy)
Format – t.b.c. Theme – t.b.c.
Adjudicator: Eilidh Loan
Submission Closing Date: Wednesday 15th March 2023
9. Scottish Article (JR & CH Mair Quaich)
1200 – 1500 words. Open Theme.
Adjudicator: Michael Meighan
Submission Date: Wednesday 29th March 2023
10. Flash Fiction (Leigh Trophy)
225 – 250 words. Theme – t.b.c
Adjudicator: Wanda McGregor, Angus Writing Circle
Submission Date: Wednesday 5th April 2023
11. Ayrshire Drabble (Little Bundle Box Trophy)
Exactly 100 words. Theme – t.b.c
Adjudicator: SAW Council
Presentation Date: Wednesday 19th April 2023