An exciting new literary event is about to take place in Orkney.

Funding has been secured through the Scottish Arts Council’s partners artist residency programme, Orkney’s Community Economic Development programme and Orkney Islands Council to create the George Mackay Brown Writing Fellowship.

A key component of Orkney’s present-day sense of itself is its considerable literary heritage, something that stretches back to the Norse sagas. During the twentieth century, figures such as Edwin Muir, Eric Linklater and George Mackay Brown have been the most prominent of the islands’ writers in national and international terms, though numerous others have contributed more locally in no small measure. Orkney is home today to many writers: from those whose work is widely published right across the scale to those just waiting for the right circumstances to begin.

The first Fellowship will take place throughout 2007, and will enable a professional, published writer to concentrate on developing their own work, as well as working with local communities in Orkney. Community based projects will focus on supporting local people in their own development as writers, as well as exploring how we can exploit the benefits of writing and literature to help both staff and users of non-arts services such as hospitals, day centres and schools. At this stage however, no decisions have been made on the detail of the community projects, as it will depend very much on the interests and skills of the successful writer.

The Fellowship will add to the already wide ranging and exciting set of arts projects which have been funded in order for Orkney to contribute to the celebration of Highlands and Islands culture through the high profile and celebratory Highland 2007 programme. The aim of Highland 2007 at a local level is to celebrate Orcadian culture past present and future. The George Mackay Brown Writing Fellowship will give Orkney the chance to really and genuinely celebrate the work and life of one of our best known writers, in a way that he surely would have approved of – by supporting and encouraging other local people to write.

For writers interested in applying, the deadline for applications is 16th November 2006. Applications are welcome from professional, practising, published writers in poetry, prose and drama. For further information contact Clare Gee, Arts Development Officer at Orkney Islands Council on 01856 873535.