Writing rammy: Authors pick up prizes in Falkirk library competition

Hosted by author Helen MacKinven, the recent prizegiving in Falkirk’s Hope Street library celebrated the best entries from the fourth Writing Rammy competition.

Lynne James, development librarian, said: “It’s fantastic that Falkirk has so many talented people. We know it can be daunting to put your words out there, so we’re hugely appreciative of everyone who entered the Writing Rammy.

"It wasn’t an easy job to judge this year as there were so many incredible entries. We hope everyone will take part again next year, when the Writing Rammy turns five.”

“We had a brilliant evening at Falkirk Library and are so grateful to Helen MacKinven for hosting and always being so supportive of the competition. We’re just so impressed by all our winners for getting up to read their work - or for allowing Helen to read for them – they’re not only very talented, but very brave!”

The full list of prizewinners is: Adult Poetry – winner, Maggie Barrowman – For Angie (written by Maggie for her sister the night before she died of Covid) and runnerup, Nikki Kemp – Bonnie Wee Scotland (Nikki works within addiction services in Falkirk and wanted to raise awareness); Adult Fiction – winner, Rebecca Ferguson - We Were Dancing, runner-up, Pauline Evans - Belief.

Teen – winner James Shearer – Broken Dreams; Junior Age eight and under – winner Grace Kidd, age seven – Charlie the Little Robot, runner-up, Hannah Gurthrie, age seven – The Runaway Marble; Age nine-plus – winner, Aesha Marie Herron, age 12 – A Deep, Dark Worry, runner-up, Millie Clark, age 11 - Aboot A Weed, runner up, Eden Foltier, age nine – Evacuation.

Family Rammy winners – The Pollocks: mum Taslin - Motherhood, and children Aaron, age 12 – The Beaches and Aysha, age 10 – My Scar.

Author Helen MacKinven was born in Falkirk and has spent most of her life in Bonnybridge, the area she set her debut novel, Talk of the Toun in.

As well as writing, the grandmother of seven works across schools in Scotland as a literacy consultant with The Learning Zoo delivering training to teachers.

She was also a Scottish Book Trust writer-in-residence at Levenmouth Academy in Fife.

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