Sage of the Forest Competition – 2022
The competition has now closed.
One of the artworks along our historic woodland path is known as the Sage of the Forest. Exactly who the forest Sage was and where they came from is lost in the mists of time, but over the years this mysterious wood carving has watched many a weary traveler and pilgrim tread a path towards the Lephinkill Chambered Cairn and St. Modan’s Well. If only the Sage of the Forest could talk, what fascinating tales they could tell.
And that is where this writing and poetry competition could help. We want you to use your imagination or historical knowledge to create a short story of a local event that the forest Sage may have seen or heard about over the centuries. Your tale could be based on fact or completely fictional, it could be based in Neolithic times or in the modern day, but whatever your choices, an interesting tale it must be.
The winning entries in three age categories will be recorded for posterity, and by way of a solar-powered “story box” to be placed beside the Sage, they will be narrated to passing visitors in need of rest and enlightenment.
The rules of the competition are as follows:
Theme: A short story of a local event that the Sage of the forest may have seen or heard about.
Format: a written story or poem in one of three age categories:
> Primary Children (P3-P7) : 500 words maximum
> Secondary Students (S1-S6) : 750 words maximum
> Adults : 1000 words maximum
Deadline: 28th February 2022
How to enter: email your entry to competition@stronafianforest.org.uk stating your name, age category, location and school (if applicable). Teachers are welcome to submit multiple entries, as long as each entry includes the name/age of the author. Remember to give your story or poem a title, and make sure that it isn’t too long (see above word limits).
Winning Entries: after the deadline, a panel of judges will spend a few weeks reading your entries, and we’ll aim to announce the winners by the end of March 2022. The top two entries from each category will be recorded for posterity in three formats, (1) a voice actor will record each story, and these will be included in a “story box” that we are developing to be placed beside the Sage of the Forest artwork. When visitors pass by, our story box will detect and welcome them, before offering to entertain them with your creative work, (2) the tales will also be published in a small booklet with accompanying illustrations for purchase locally, with any profits being used to provide more artworks in the community forest, and finally (3) the winning entries will be published on the website for all to see.
Good luck !