Short story competition in memory of Caithness journalist, historian and councillor
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A short story competition has been launched in memory of Bill Mowat, the Caithness journalist, historian and councillor who died last year.
It has been set up by John O’Groats Development Trust and the John O’Groats Book Festival and is open to writers resident in Scotland.
The launch coincided with the three-day Duncansby Lighthouse centenary festival held at the weekend.
Bill, from John O'Groats, passed away in August 2023, aged 80.
Ian Leith, a trustee of John O'Groats Development Trust and one of the festival organisers, said: "Bill had a passion for the history and heritage of the local area and, in this centenary year of the Duncansby Head lighthouse, we are proposing an appropriate lighthouse-based theme.
"Writers are encouraged to use this theme as they see fit, but we offer three quotations by way of some suggested starting points."
The quotations are “When the lights come out at sundown along the shores of Scotland” (Robert Louis Stevenson); “At the foot of the lighthouse it is dark” (a Japanese proverb); and “Lighthouses are endlessly suggestive signifiers of both human isolation and our ultimate connectedness to each other" (Virginia Woolf).
The Bill Mowat Memorial Short Story Competition is open to all ages but there will be awards for those 16 and over and up to age 16.
Entries should be in English and be between 2000 and 3000 words for the 16-and-over category and 500 to 1500 words for those up to 16.
Prizes of £100 and £50 respectively will be awarded for the winning entries.
All entries must be accompanied by the approved entry form which can be requested by email from ian@baselineresearch.co.uk or collected from Café Groats at John O’Groats.
All entries will be judged anonymously. Names, addresses, phone numbers, email accounts or other personal details should not be included on the document – only on the entry form.
The lead judge for the inaugural competition is Gail Anthea Brown, novelist, short story writer and blogger.
Bill represented north-east Caithness on Highland Regional Council for 16 years. He was chairman of Gills Harbour Ltd and a member of Dunnet and Canisbay Community Council.
He worked as an Inverness-based reporter for the Daily Record, having started out in journalism as Thurso-based editor of the Caithness Courier.
His younger brother Walter said that in his professional life Bill had "a nose for news", while in local government he worked hard to bring prosperity to the people of his native county.
