Join writer Kirsty Strang-Roy for a two-hour creative writing workshop, where writers of all levels can explore the 2025 festival theme of Comfort & Disturb in preparation for this year’s writing competition.

Through generative prompts, sensory writing, and reflective exercises, we’ll explore how stories can both soothe and unsettle. How words can offer comfort. How they can resist, provoke, and rewrite the narrative in times of uncertainty.

This session is open-ended, pressure-free, and designed to spark ideas. There’s no expectation to share your work, and you’re welcome to engage in any format that feels right for you.

About Kirsty-Strang-Roy

Kirsty is a writer and participatory arts facilitator based in Glasgow. Her work explores writing as a way of navigating the world around us, prioritising playful and flexible approaches that allow writers of all abilities and backgrounds to find their voice. She runs the Write Like a Grrrl workshop series in Glasgow and has recently worked with the University of Strathclyde, Arkbound, GAMH, The Barn, SMHAF and the Southside Wellbeing Festival. She has publications in New Writing Scotland, Motherlore and The Skinny and is currently editing her first novel. 

About the Writing Competition

This year’s writing competition is open for entries. We’re seeking new writing inspired by mental health and our theme of ‘Comfort & Disturb’. For this year’s competition, there are three categories:

• FICTION: Short fiction pieces, including short stories, between 500 and 2000 words.
• POETRY: Poems, up to 40 lines.
• CREATIVE NONFICTION: Creative writing with a factual basis, between 500 and 2000 words. Examples can include letters, diary entries, autobiographical writing, personal essays, and creative journalism.

This year’s writing programme in held in partnership with WayWORD at the University of Aberdeen. The winning and shortlisted entries from the competition will be showcased as part of our writing programme at Cowdray Hall, Aberdeen on Wednesday 29 October and published in an illustrated book.

The closing date for entries is 11.59pm on Monday 4 August.

Image: Kirsty Strang-Roy © Eoin Carey