The McLellan Poetry Prize is awarded by the Arran Theatre and Arts Trust as part of the annual McLellan Arts Festival.
Now in its eighteenth year, past judges have included Kathleen Jamie, Robert Crawford, Jackie Kay, Peter and Ann Sansom, Michael Laskey, Simon Armitage, David Constantine, Maura Dooley, Sinéad Morrissey, Sean O’Brien , Luke Wright, Hollie McNish and Joelle Taylor.
This year they are running two separate competitions, the main International competition in the English language and a second competition for the best poems in the Scots language.
The judge this year for the International English Language Competition is William Letford.
• First prize – £1000
• Second prize – £250
• There will also be five highly commended poems
Winning and commended poets will be invited to come and read with William (Billy) Letford on the Isle of Arran on Saturday 7th September 2024.
A word from Billy:
“Whether the subject matter is mundane or monumental, whether you guide me gently or launch me with a kick, take me somewhere new and your words will find a home with me.”
The Judge for the Scots poems is Jim Mackintosh.
• First prize – £1000
• Second prize – £250
• There will also be five highly commended poems
The winning poets in the Scots competition will also be invited to come and read with Jim MacKintosh on Arran on Saturday 7th September 2024 as part of the McLellan Arts Festival.
Here is Jim’s invitation:
“Ah ken it’s there.
We aa hae it.
Yon fidget o scrievins no kennin whaur tae rest.
Yon drum tap o vyces scratchin, in atween
yer pen an the blank page, fechtin thegither
yet aye encouragin ye tae haud forrits.
A verse or twa, a bonny poem ready tae be born.
The shores o bonny Arran are weytin whiles ah
sit here weytin fer yer poems, yer bundles o joy
aiblins laced wi a ticky sadness but aye the truth o yer hert
– sic a pure an simple magic, lowin wi passion.
Sae gie yersel up tae the fidget, tak tent o the vyces
Ye ken it maks sense – the brackin o yer seelence
tae loss yersel in this auncient Leid, oor Leid.
Send me yer poems.”
For more information and how to apply see the link here. The closing date for this year’s competition is midnight, Sunday 2nd June 2024
About the Judges
William Letford’s work has been adapted into film, projected onto buildings, carved into monuments, adapted for the stage, written onto skin, cast out over the radio, and performed by orchestras. He has helped restore a Medieval village in the mountains of Northern Italy, taught English in Japan, and been invited to perform in Iraq, South Korea, Lebanon, Australia, Germany, India, Poland, and many more countries.
Visit William Letford’s website here
Jim Mackintosh is a poet, editor, playwright and producer who has published six collections including Flipstones (Tippermuir Books, 2018) and edited or co-edited four anthologies including The Darg (Drunk Muse Press, 2019) celebrating the centenary of Hamish Henderson and Beyond The Swelkie (Tippermuir Books, 2021), a celebration in poems and essays to mark the centenary of George Mackay Brown.
He has undertaken several residencies including for St Johnstone FC between 2016 and 2019. He was the Makar of the Federation of Writers Scotland in 2021, the Poet in Chief of the Hampden Collection (2019-22) and the Poetry Editor of Nutmeg Magazine (2017-22). He is the current Makar of the Cateran EcoMuseum in East Perthshire and the Angus Glens.
His latest book published by Seahorse Publications – We are Migrant will be launched in Glasgow on the 1st May. The book is a series of poems examining the constant shift of humanity from Jim’s own Great Grandfather’s journey as a 14 year old boy from Donegal to work on the railway tunnels of Glasgow, to the hellish existence of refugee camps in too many places across the world, to the desperate plight of people fleeing persecution, crossing dangerous waters and war zones, to the highland clearances and much more. The collection includes the poem Tour Package which was Highly Commended in the 2023 McLellan Poetry Prize.