About a dozen members of Erskine
Writers attended the 50th Anniversary Conference held at the end of
March in Westerwood Hotel. We were delighted to meet up with former member
Rosemary Gemmell who was adjudicating the Pitlochry Quaich Competition for a
Romantic Novel.
Keynote Speaker for the Gala
Dinner was our own Alex Gray, who gave a moving and gracious speech in which
she charted her
own journey as a writer and encouraged us to
keep writing and keep submitting. Thank you, Alex!
Members attended various
workshops, including Writing Short Stories, Becoming a Children's Author,
Achieving Your Writing and Publishing Goals, Writing Novels, Poetry, Feature Writing and Reaching
Your Readers Online.
Other events included a quiz, a
talent show (Bill Daly represented us well!), a super-sleuth play, delicious
food and the opportunity to chat and relax. Hilary Stevenson was one of those
chosen to face the Dragons' Den and gave an excellent account of her spy novel,
‘Hush-Hush’.
Erskine Writers won the following awards:
Non-Fiction Book
2nd place Judith Vallely for ‘Struggle and Suffrage in Glasgow: Women's Lives and the Fight for
Equality’
On a dark January night in 1914, Glasgow’s
iconic Kibble Palace at the Botanic Gardens became the
target of a bomb attack. The police concluded it was the work of militant
suffragettes after discovering footprints of ladies’ shoes…and an empty
champagne bottle and cake.
The attack was just one of many incidents as the women of Glasgow battled for the
right to vote. One hundred years from when some women were finally able to
go to the ballot box, this book examines the inspirational women of Glasgow of the time and
their quest
for equal rights and improvements in all areas of society.
for equal rights and improvements in all areas of society.
Short Story for Children under
7.
3rd place
Morag Moffat for ‘Chickens, Scrap-iron and a Fiddle’,
About a Romanian child moving with his family to Scotland.
The adjudicator praised the title, the storyline and the message, the child's
voice and the insight into the life of the family.
Commended - Wilma Ferguson for ‘What Shall I Be?’
About a child dressing up as
various professions. The adjudicator, Caroline Clayton, loved the title, the
creation of a magical make-believe world, the language and rhyming and the good
use of the child's voice.
Largs
Shield for 3-5 min sketch.
3rd place Morag Moffat for ‘Show, Don't Tell’.
The adjudicators (Perth Writers)
enjoyed the setting and the play on words. Morag appreciated the splendid
acting of Erskine Writers when they presented the sketch.
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Next meeting - 16 April – Open Manuscripts.
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