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Hanna Greally Literary Awards 2015

- Last call for entries: closing date Friday, 23 October -

posted 19 Oct 2015, 16:32

The closing date for entries for the Hanna Greally Literary Awards 2015 is this Friday, 23 October. Entries can be submitted by post or online but must be received before 5pm. Full details on how to enter, including terms and conditions, are available from the SiarScéal website (see Competition page).

The Overall Winner will receive a cash prize of €200, while prizes will also be award across categories that include National, International, Local, Schools and Highly Commended in both poetry and prose. The theme of this year's competition is Century in Refelction.

All entries received will be considered for inclusion in the inaugural edition of the SiarScéal/Hanna Greally Literary Journal, to be launched at the 2016 SiarScéal Festival, provisionally scheduled for April.

Winners of the Hanna Greally Literary Awards (including the Ger Hanily Memorial Cup) will be announced and prizes presented at the forthcoming SiarScéal Festival, which takes place over two days, Thursday and Friday 5-6 November. The full programme of events is available from the SiarScéal website (see Festival page) and can also be downloaded in handy brochure form.

Highlights of the festival include the launch of the book The Splendiferous Adventures of Ferdinand Fox by Rose Morris. As last year's overall winner of the Hanna Greally Literary Awards, Rose's prize was to see her book published, in print and e-book editions, courtesy of The Manuscript Publisher, who sponsored the prize.

Rose's first publishing outing is as delightful and whimisical as the title suggests, as she skillfully combines themes of mythology, globe-trotting action and adventure, underpinned by serious ecological concerns and told through the medium of illustrated verse. It will be enjoyed by children of all ages (and even a few adults) but will appeal especially to reading ages of 7-12 years.

The Splendiferous Tale of Ferdinand Fox by Rose Morris is available to pre-order online from The Manuscript Publisher. It will be on general sale from November and signed copies will be available at the launch to take place on Thursday, 5 November, in Roscommon County Library HQ, Abbey Street, Roscommon, where an evening of entertainment is planned, commencing 6pm. We invite you to come along.

The festival continues the following day, Friday 6 November, starting at 10am with musical recitals and the formal opening, presided over by Chairperson of Roscommon County Council, Cllr Paddy Kilduff, accompanied by County Librarian and Festival Patron, Richie Farrell. They will oversee the presentation of the Hanna Greally Literary Awards, which will then be followed by a writer's workshop, presented by Mary Guckian and a Writing for Publishing workshop presented by Oscar Duggan. The festival will conclude with an Open Mic session.