Running from the 29 March until 7 June, the Nourish writing campaign will encourage people to share their tales, from growing your own, to creative cooking and celebratory feats, Scottish Book Trust wants to know what fuels the bodies and minds of Scots across the country.
People of all ages from across the country are being invited to submit personal pieces of writing about what nourishes them, using any format that appeals to them – story, poem, comic strip, play or letter – up to 1,000 words long, in English, Gaelic or Scots via www.scottishbooktrust.com/nourish.
Celebrities and authors such as Mary Contini and Catherine Simpson will be cooking up stories to whet writers’ appetites during the open call for entries. Workshops will also take place throughout Scotland (Aberdeen, Ayr, Dundee, Edinburgh, Fort William, Galashiels, Inverness, Stirling and Thurso) to help writers learn the perfect ingredients for a good story. Scottish Book Trust’s favourite stories will be published in an e-book for Book Week Scotland (27 November-3 December 2017), Scotland’s national celebration of books and reading.
Philippa Cochrane, Head of Reader Development at Scottish Book Trust, said:“Food can evoke memories, connect us with others, present difficult choices or simply set us up for the day – it can challenge and inspire us and offer nourishment beyond what’s on the plate. From Arbroath smokies to Stornoway black pudding, Scottish food is quite distinctive in the culinary world. Through this campaign we hope to nurture and encourage anyone to get involved even if they’ve never written before. If stories be the food of life, write on.”
The closing date for entries is midnight on 7 June 2017 except for school pupils who will be able to submit their stories until October.
Mary Contini, Valvona & Crolla director and author, said: “Give yourself time to write. You’ll be enriched. You’ll learn to appreciate yourself and reveal the value in others. So don’t waste any time. Off you go… just write it down!”
