The University of Aberdeen has joined forces with Scotland’s literary newspaper to launch a major competition to help discover a new generation of budding essayists and journalists.
Writers of all ages and nationalities are being invited to pen 3,000 words on ‘Being Modern-Minded’ for the University of Aberdeen-Scottish Review of Books Essay Prize.
The winning entry will be published in the Edinburgh Festival edition of the Scottish Review of Books in August 2010 and its author will receive £500, plus a day with the literary editor of the Herald/Sunday Herald and editor of the Scottish Review of Books.
Edited by Alan Taylor, the SRB is published quarterly, and appears in the Saturday edition of The Herald newspaper.
AlanTaylor said: “We are looking for writers who will embrace the essay form and adapt, expand and energise it for the twenty-first century.”
The essay prize is a part of a partnership with the review which will include literary events and writing master-classes for staff and students.
Professor Chris Gane, Vice-Principal and Head of the College of Arts and Social Sciences, said: “The University is committed to promoting cultural engagement and we believe this is first time the University has worked with a newspaper in this way. We look forward to seeing the results.”
The closing date for entries is 28 June 2010. For full details, visit www.abdn.ac.uk/srb