Over 870 entries have been submitted to the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Words of the Wild nature writing competition, this year themed ‘From source to sea’. This total has far surpassed that of the inaugural competition, which ran in 2024 and attracted 515 entries.
The deadline for submissions has now passed, excepting entries for the Junior Scots category, which has been extended until Thursday 31 July.
The competition invites entrants to submit original written works about the wildlife and wild places of Scotland’s rivers, lochs, coasts and seas, in English, Gaelic or Scots.
Pete Haskell, Head of Communications & Engagement, Scottish Wildlife Trust, said: “We were delighted with the success of Words of the Wild in 2024, so to receive even more entries this year is fantastic. With such a range of writing styles in all three languages, celebrating everything from the beavers that live in our rivers to the puffins that breed on our cliffs, it’s clear how much Scotland’s wildlife has the power to inspire us and drive our creativity.
“Huge thanks to everyone who has taken the time to enter and to the many volunteer readers who have registered to help with the initial longlisting.”
The competition judging panel includes notable names from the worlds of literature and conservation, including award-winning Scots poet, Craig Aitchison, Gaelic writer and broadcaster, Roddy Maclean, and Scottish Young Makar, Eve McIntosh. Once the longlist has been determined, the panel will whittle the entries down to 18 finalists, who will be revealed in October.
This year’s competition is in association with the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, at which the winners will be announced on 1 November. It is also supported by the Riverwoods Blueprint Project and Sea the Connection, both led by the Trust.