We are delighted to announce the winners of The Vernal Equinox Competition 2021. See the list below. To read an entry click on the title. If there is no link it will be because the entrant either does not wish the piece to be published or has been contacted but not yet given permission. We hope to organise a virtual Awards Event on  4 September.

Results of Vernal Equinox Competition 2021

Flash Fiction (read judge’s report here)

First Prize

E.E. Rhodes Self/Less

Second Prize

Laura Muetzelfeldt Blackbird

Third Prize

Richard Hooton Boundless

Highly Commended

Sherry Morris You Don’t Like Your Dentist

Alexandra Paterson ‘Settlement’

Commended

Alison Bell In This Sequestered Place

Gaelic (read judge’s report here)

First Prize

Iain Macrae/Ian MacRath Gàirnealachd

Second Prize

Marcas Mac an Tuairneir Ròs Geal

Highly Commended

Maggie Rabatski Galar

Poetry (read judge’s report here)

First Prize

Niki Brennan Chimera

Second Prize

Glen Wilson Untamed

Third Prize

Kate Young Summits and Spires

Commended

Ava Patel ‘Something Exists Forever’

Rachel Tennant Stenness Stones

Pete Russell 5-4-3-2-1

Marianne MacRae Rumination on The Past

Lydia Harris I am the spirit who fell on the nun who danced the Kyrie

Bill Dodd the hypothesis

Joan MacDonald Tribute to a craftsman

Mairi Jack Hypocrisy

Alexandra Paterson ‘A walk when the rain stops’

Anne Ballard Kintsugi

Rod Whitworth Duet

David Linklater ‘Estimating God’ since retitled Estimations

Ruth Aylett Your life in red plastic

Scots (read judge’s report here)

First Prize

James P Spence Fither’s Walk

Second Prize                                                                                              

Frances Smith Ne’er-Dae-Weil

Third Prize

Donald Adamson Chynged Days

Highly Commended

Donald Adamson ‘Ilin The Cheen’

Kate Gordon Frank

Commended

Kate Gordon Maw

Best Prose/Short Fiction Entry*

Craig Aitchison The Sangsters

*The judge elected to make this award, the placed entries all being poems

Short Story (read judge’s report here)

First Prize

Richard Hooton Subjugation: The play 

Second Prize

Brenda Crane Lily Thistle and Rose

Joint Third Prize

Kate Blackadder  My Sister’s Eyes

Alan Kennedy The  Pagoda in His Mind