Guest Blogs
Ink Stains
A blog by EKTobin
Ink Stains is our blog dedicated to younger writers. Here we post competitions, information on events and tips. The best advice? Keep reading – everything you can lay your hands on, and keep writing. Write for yourself to find your voice. If you’d like to contribute to this blog drop vanessa@writing.ie an email.
Emma Tobin is 19 and from Newbridge, Co Kildare, Ireland where she lives with her parents, one brother, four cats, and some fish. Emma is in her first year at UCD where she is studying English, Philosophy and History. Emma writes prose, poetry and fiction. Emma has completed two novels and is working on her third which is a YA contemporary novel with the title 'Paperweight Soldiers'. Emma blogs at abcofbeingateenager.blogspot.ie and is a regular contributor to the arts show Artyfacts on KFM Radio in Kildare. Emma has had a number of columns published in The Irish Times. In May 2013 her article 'Blinking Out' was included in a new HeadSpace magazine for young people focusing on positive mental health. Emma's poetry has won a number of national awards including the Trocaire/Poetry Ireland annual poetry competition in the senior post primary category in both 2014 and 2015. Emma was the recipient of the Conor Bowman Youth Award at the Hopkins Poetry Summer School in 2014. Emma was the joint poetry winner for June 2015 of the Hennessy New Irish Writing and had two of her poems published as part of that in The Irish Times. As a result she is not on the shortlist for the Hennessy Writer of the Year award in the emerging poetry category. You can find her on Facebook as Emma Tobin Writer and on Twitter as @EK_Tobin.
The Happy Girl by Cecelia Low Chai Chin
We received the lovely story below from Cecelia Low Chai Chin and decided to share it here. Cecelia is thirteen this year and she lives in Malaysia, Penang. She is currently studying at SMJK Sacred Heart and her hobbies are reading, singing, dancing, and drawing. She aspires to be an author. The Happy Girl A long time ago, there lived a very happy girl. No matter how much you tried to make her mad or sad, she...
Read the full article >>Lune Spark Young Writers’ Short Story Competition
Competition deadline: 28th April 2018 Lune Spark are looking for talented young writers like you for the 2018 Lune Spark Young Writers’ Short Story Competition. Think you can write a wonderful story in 1,500 words or less? $2,700 cash prizes including Online-only & On-the-Spot contests. Up to 25 stories will be published on Amazon.com and Kindle through Lune Spark Books’ independent publishing. Winners in both categories will have option to enrol in free (remote) novel-writing workshops....
Read the full article >>Kinsale Student Sarah Fitzgerald Investigates Decline in Reading Among Children
13-year-old Kinsale Community School Student and Kinsale native, Sarah Fitzgerald is a finalist in the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition in the junior social and behavioural sciences category. Her project is entitled “A Statistical Investigation Into the Decline In Reading Among Ireland’s Youth and How We Can Prevent This From Impacting Future Generations.” This follows Sarah’s appearance on The Late Late Toy Show in December 2017 where she was selected to review the best selling children’s...
Read the full article >>Help Late Late’s Rebel Sarah Win BT Young Scientist
This picture is of Sarah Fitzgerald, aged 13 from Kinsale, with her little brother Cillian, aged 9, in the RTE Green Room prior to the Late Late Toy Show, the highest viewed show in Ireland this year. Her dreams came true to discuss her passion for books and was delighted to win a trip to UK publishing house WALKER BOOKS – the world’s leading independent publisher of children’s books. She brilliantly reviewed THE SENSATIONAL NO.1...
Read the full article >>Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship 2018 Open for Applications
As part of the 2017 Robert Louis Stevenson Day celebrations, Scottish Book Trust is delighted to announce that the Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship for professional writers is now open for applications. Scotland-based writers, who would benefit from time away from their usual environment to develop their work, are encouraged to apply. The Fellowship was initiated in 1994 by Franki Fewkes, a Scottish Robert Louis Stevenson enthusiast then living in France, and is supported by Creative...
Read the full article >>Journeys – The Writing Competition with Alma Books
Competition Deadline: 1st December 2017 Alma Books are offering ten children the chance to have their “journey” story printed in a special collection. Want to win? All you have to do is write a 500-800 word story about “journeys” and get an adult to send it to competitions [@] almabooks.com with your name and age, to be in with a chance of winning! Open to children aged 7-11 • UK residents only • Closes 1st December 2017 Terms and...
Read the full article >>Competition: Get Your Story Published by Scoop Magazine
Competition Deadline: 8th December 2017 Are you aged between 8 –11? Do you love writing stories? Then is definitely for you! Rye Books have teamed up with Scoop Magazine to bring us this fantastic short story competition – what they think is their best challenge yet! Write a story beginning with the following words: ‘Late afternoon, the storm arrived…’ The winner will be chosen by award winning author S. F. Said whose books include Varjak Paw, The Outlaw...
Read the full article >>Explore the Science of Cinema and meet Ireland’s Future Filmmakers at the 23rd Junior Film Fleadh
The Junior Galway Film Fleadh is delighted to announce an exciting, engaging and inspiring programme of cinematic events for the young people of Galway and Ireland. Featuring a wide range of feature films, short film programmes, and special events, the Junior Film Fleadh is proud to showcase the best in cultural cinema to young audiences. The Junior Film Fleadh is also a unique platform for some of the country’s Future Filmmakers to exhibit their work...
Read the full article >>Creative Ardagh Frightful Flash Fiction Competition
Competition deadline: Monday 23rd October Creative Ardagh are delighted to present the second annual Frightful Flash Fiction Competition in association with this year’s Ardagh Fright Fest. We are looking for entries from anyone aged 13 or over. Get your creative juices flowing and send us in your scariest, spookiest or most twisted tales. All genres welcome: gothic, fantasy, mythology, sci-fi, reality etc. The only rule is that you stick to a maximum of 300 words. Plans...
Read the full article >>Greywood Arts Winter Writing Residency Competition
Competition Deadline: October 15th 2017 Greywood Arts is delighted to announce our new Winter Writing Residency Award, a competition to win a one-week residency between January and April 2018. We would be grateful if you could help us spread the word and share the following with your community: Writers of short stories, plays and poetry are invited to submit unpublished works to Greywood Arts new Winter Writing Residency Award. An author from each category will be awarded cosy...
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