On Behalf of the Judges

It has been a huge pleasure to judge the Beyond Borders’ 2019 competition on the theme of inspirational women.

The entries came from as far afield as the US and Indonesia and were a testament not just to the inspirational women they celebrated but to the imagination and artistry of the writers who took part. We had a story about Marie Curie time travelling to the present time, poetry about women as varied as the Virgin Mary and Anne Boleyn, and many stories celebrating ordinary mothers and grandmothers.

It was difficult to choose from so many interesting pieces and we didn’t always agree. Judging literature is like saying you prefer peacocks to eagles – both are beautiful birds and you might be attracted to flashing green feathers one day and a fierce raptor’s beak the next. Regretfully, in making our selection for the long list, we had to discard many fine pieces of work. We’d like to thank everyone for their entries and for the privilege of reading them.

Jean Rafferty, Dove Tales

Here, then, in alphabetical order, is the longlist:

Ruth Aylett – The hero’s life (Sylvia Pankhurst, 1882-1960)

Meron Berhanu – Mystic Treats

Anna Johanne – Shingai

Beth McDonough – Grazia Deledda stands out from the reeds in the wind.

Reyah Martin – Film

Nimisha Menon – Daughter of Malabar

Kirsty Niven – Dear Anne Boleyn

Barbara Pollock – Dreams are made of black holes and humming boxes

Ipung Purnomo – My Heroine

Pnina Shinebourne – Jeanne Baret sails around the world

Sarah Spence – The Edinburgh Seven, 1870

Elizabeth Train-Brown – Mother in Red

Keep an eye on Beyond Borders social media channels for the announcement of the finalists and next steps!

On behalf of Beyond Borders Scotland, we’d like to thank you all for sincerely for taking the time to tell your story, and your energy in creating such truly inspiring writing! All the pieces we received were of an excellent standard, and if yours hasn’t been selected this time, we have two further creative writing competitions launching before August, on Creative Peace and Beyond Borders, that we encourage you to apply to.

Please also use the link here to subscribe to our Beyond Writing mailing list and receive special offers, opportunities and news on the Beyond Borders International Festival, we hope to see you there!