News / Lauraine wins dialect prize
THIS YEAR’s Rhoda Bulter Award has been won by Highlands-based Lauraine Peterson.
The annual prize, which celebrates writing penned in the Shetland dialect, was given for her short story Boannie Blue.
Peterson, who now lives in Spinningdale, said she was “gobsmacked” to learn of the news.
The award is presented by Shetland ForWirds in the memory of significant dialect writer Rhoda Bulter.
The title Boannie Blue was given as this year’s theme, paying tribute to the poem of the same name by Bulter.
The writer’s son John Bulter, who helped to judge the competition alongside his siblings, praised the quality of submissions.
“We are delighted with the response to this year’s competition and commend the authors for their creativity and storytelling,” he said.
“The quality of the entries made judging a real joy. The styles and topics of “boannie blue” were so varied: fairy stories and love stories; whales, boats, survival, death, faith and new life. We were taken on terrific journeys.”
To mark her achievement, Peterson will receive a serpentine and silver trophy made by Rosalyn Thompson. Her short story will also be published in the Yule New Shetlander.
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