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Writing Awards 2023

Read the shortlisted entries from the Writing Awards 2023, collected in this ebook illustrated by Nisan Yetkin and designed by Hamish Gibson.

The shortlisted pieces were selected from over 200 entries to this year’s competition. Writers from across Scotland, the UK and internationally submitted exploring mental health and the theme of ‘revolution’ across three categories: Fiction, Poetry and Creative Non-Fiction.

The competition winners were:

Creative Non-Fiction & Overall
Victoria Reid
Wall-Paper

Fiction
Rachel Gorry
Revolt the Revolve

Poetry
Suzanne Smith
On Counselling

Revolution eBook

Cover of the SMHAF Writing Awards 2023 ebook
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Contents

Illustration of a man running holding a post-it note with a heart on it in his hand.

Revolt the Revolve
Rachel Gorry
Fiction

Digital illustration of a person sitting on a cloud with their head resting on their hand.

In An Ideal World
Luke ‘Luca’ Cockayne
Poetry

Illustration of a black dog in the foreground in front of a silhouette of a woman, standing in a yellow spotlight and red-orange background.

I Just Am
Alyssa Marie
Creative Non-Fiction

Illustration of a girl slumped on a rock, with an earthly brown background.

Lazy-itis
Ann MacLeod
Creative Non-Fiction

Digital illustration of two girls laughing over a coffee, with steam rising from the cups.

Parthian Shot
MJ Burns
Fiction

Illustration of a figure handing from the end of a giant fountain pen.

Wall-Paper
Victoria Reid
Creative Non-Fiction

Digital illustration of a disembodied figure sculpting a distressed women out of rock.

On Counselling
Suzanne Smith
Poetry

Illustration of a person sitting in a lonely red landscape with two planets in the sky.

Orbit
Dylan Beckham
Creative Non-Fiction

Illustration of a figure spray painting a green heart onto a wall, with a series of statues in the foreground.

A Biro Manifesto
Rhys Pearce
Poetry

Illustration of a woman standing with a dog on a lead.

Warrior Within
Annmarie Campbell
Fiction

Illustration of a person wearing a range of jewellery counting on their fingers.

(wu)man tap(ss)
Amber Sinclair-Case
Fiction