JUDGING has begun to find the winner of this year’s Wigtown Poetry Prize.
Entries have been sent in from around the world and in English, Scots and Gaelic entries.
And the winners will be revealed at Wigtown Book Festival, which runs from 22 September to 1 October.
The prizes include the Alastair Reid Pamphlet Prize, named in memory of one of Scotland’s foremost literary talents, which recognises a collection of work rather than individual poems.
The Fresh Voices Award is for poets living in, or from, Dumfries and Galloway who have never professionally published a full length collection.
Meanwhile, the 2023 judges have been revealed and they are:
Author and poet Donald S Murray; Lennie Pennie, a Scots language poet; Rody Gorman, renowned for his Scottish Gaelic poetry; and storyteller, writer, musician Susi Briggs.
Nicholas Walker, Wigtown Poetry Prize group chair, said: “The Wigtown Poetry Prize has a worldwide reputation as the champion of poetry in Scotland’s three indigenous languages.
“That’s reinforced by the quality of the entries, the excellence of our judges and the fabulous support we receive from organisations and individuals dedicated to Scotland, to promoting poetry and to strengthening our languages.
“As one of the UK’s best-established competitions, it has been the launchpad for many successful careers. And this year we are once again looking forward to celebrating the skill, imagination and insight of writers from Scotland and all around the globe.”
