Poetry entries invited

ENTRIES are open for an annual contest held i n memory of a much-loved Perth poet.

The William Soutar writing competition features a d u lt a n d c h i l d r e n ’s categories with the option for youngsters to submit works in Gaelic. The adult winner will receive a creative writing course at Moniack Mhor and the children’s winner, an iPad.

Shortlisted entries will become library e-books, accessible by thousands of people across the area.

Adult judge, poet Samuel Tongue, said he was eager to see what the wordsmiths of Perth and Kinross come up with.

He said: “There’s always a lot of talk about what makes a prize-winning poem – subject matter, form, technical skill and so on. All of these matter but there has to be a heartbeat in there too – a lifeblood animating the whole.”

The competition, run by Culture Perth and Kinross, is free to enter and the closing date is February 1.