Pens at the ready ✍️: Scot pupils invited to envision farming’s future with short story competition!
The Royal Highland Show launches a short story competition to explore the future of farming ahead of this year's Show in June!
The Competition is open to primary 5-7 and S1-S3 pupils across Scotland
Entry deadline is Friday 15th May
Young writers across Scotland are being challenged to put pen to paper and bring the future of farming to life, as the Royal Highland Show launches a nationwide short story competition as part of Scotland’s National Year of Reading.
Open to primary pupils from P5-P7 and Secondary pupils from S1 to S3, the competition aims to connect classrooms with Scotland’s land, food systems and rural communities by encouraging pupils to explore one of four themes through their creative writing submissions: the future of farming, sustainable food production, innovation in agriculture or caring for animals, crops or the environment.
The Royal Highland Show - Scotland’s largest fundraising event run by leading agricultural charity RHASS (Royal Highland Agricultural Society of Scotland) - has long championed education, innovation and the future of farming. The competition aims to build on this legacy by inviting a new generation to imagine the future of agriculture, from futuristic farming methods and rural adventure stories, to exploring the connection between people, animals and the environment.
The judging panel for the competition brings together expertise from across the agriculture and the literary worlds and is formed of Keith-based children's author Catherine Stables, Head of the Royal Highland Show, David Tennant, and Dumfries and Galloway based author, bookseller and publisher at Foggie Toddle Books, Jayne Baldwin.
Head of Show, David Tennant, said: “The Royal Highland Show is all about celebrating and sustaining the future of Scottish agriculture. This competition offers a unique way to help connect young people with rural Scotland, encouraging them to think creatively about how we might grow and source our food, or how innovation might support farmers in the decades ahead. We’re excited to see how pupils across Scotland interpret these themes and bring them to life through their storytelling.”
Children’s author and competition judge, Catherine Stables, is a working vet based in Keith in the North East of Scotland with her series of Shona the Vet books, inspired by her veterinary experience and love of animals.
She said: “This new competition is a wonderful initiative and one I feel very passionate about. Encouraging children to read and write is so important, and when you connect that with learning about our rural landscape, farming and culture, it becomes something really special. You don’t need a farming background to enter, just lots of creativity to imagine how our farms might operate in years to come. I’m excited to see the creativity it sparks.”
Jayne Baldwin, Dumfries and Galloway based author, books including; Betty's New Best Friend about a Belted Galloway and a Highland Cow and The Highland Cowgirl - Showtime; which is all about the adventures of a young girl at an agricultural show.
Jayne, said: “The National Year of Reading provides such an excellent platform to encourage young people to discover or rediscover a love of reading, whether that’s picking up a picture book, novel, comic book, or even a magazine.
“This competition is an opportunity to have fun with words and imagine an entirely new world, created entirely by you, of how we’ll farm, look after animals and work in agriculture ten, twenty or thirty years from now. It’ll be fascinating to read what’s in store!”
Open to pupils across the country, entries must be original work, with one submission per pupil!
Primary (P5-P7) pupils are asked that their stories have a maximum of 250 words, and Secondary (S1-S3) pupils have a maximum of 500 words. Entries can be hand written or typed. (With accompanying images welcomed, but optional)
All entries must relate to at least one of the following themes: The future of farming, Sustainable food production, Innovation in agriculture or Caring for animals, crops or the environment.
Winners will be announced ahead of the Show taking place in June, with two winners and two runners-up recognised across the primary and secondary categories. Prize packages will include family tickets to attend the Sunday of the Royal Highland Show, book vouchers (£100 for winners and £50 for runners-up) and the winning stories being published in national farming title, The Scottish Farmer. The winners will also receive family passes to the Wigtown Book Festival which takes place in Dumfries & Galloway in the autumn.
The competition closes on Friday 15th May. All entries should be emailed by teachers to rhsshortstorycomp@mucklemediagroup.co.uk and include the name of the pupil and their year group.