The 2022 Linklater Prize

In the 1999 newsletter, OHS published the following information on a brand new award, The Marjorie Linklater Writing Award:

OHS wish to found a memorial to the late Marjorie Linklater, one time Secretary, Chair, Vice President and President of the Society, in recognition of her work and effort in looking after Orkney’s Heritage. This is to be in the form of an award for an original piece of writing submitted by any student in classes 5 or 6 of KGS, Stromness Academy, or of the same age group from Orkney College.

A different subject was to be chosen each year, but by 2002 the format was changed slightly with the stipulation that the writing was to have some bearing on Orkney. Each year would alternate between prose and poetry. By 2005 however, entries were standardised to be prose only, which is how the competition was run for the next 15 years.

This year we are relaunching the award with a slightly different name and a slightly different format. Rather than asking the schools to help run the competition, we are opening it out to anyone living in Orkney between the ages of 15 – 18, and entrants can choose whichever format they prefer between poetry and prose. There will also be a yearly theme. The inaugural theme is the colours of Orkney. This is open to interpretation, and we look forward to a wide range of entries.

The prize winner will be published on the OHS website, and may be published in a future newsletter.

Monetary awards:
First prize: £50
Second prize: £40
Third prize: £30

• The closing date for entries is 16th November 2022.
• Entries must be accompanied by an entry form.The form can be downloaded in MSWord here,  or PDF format here.

Marjorie Linklater, 1909-97. ‘As chairman of the Orkney Heritage Society, she persuaded the oil industry to fund a full-time archaeologist to supervise the islands’ phenomenally rich prehistoric heritage, and when the nuclear industry proposed to mine uranium in Orkney, she led a long, successful ‘No Uranium’ campaign against it.’