Winter Words to be spoken softly at Pitlochry

Dec 21 2010 by Andrew Welsh, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

PITLOCHRY’S gruesome Fearie Tales Competition has re-opened – and will mark its fifth anniversary next month.

The unique annual story-telling event, part of the Festival Theatre’s Winter Words event receives more and more submissions each year.

Participants include both would-be authors and more established writers – all hell bent on scaring the life out of their audience with a grisly yarn.

Competitions organisers define a ‘fearie tale’ as a piece of fiction about “the mysterious, the macabre or the supernatural”.

The story must contain an obvious connection with Scotland, like being by a Scottish author, set in a Scottish location, having Scottish characters or drawing from Scottish folklore or history.

Entries are read aloud by familiar faces from the theatre’s stage in the cosy atmosphere of the venue’s Ben-y-Vrackie Bar on the festival’s two Friday and Saturday evenings.

To qualify for recital, tales must be new and written especially for Winter Words.

Entries (maximum length 3250 words) should be submitted to PFT by noon on Friday, January 21.

New for 2011 is the ‘Mini Fearie Tales’ competition for the young.

The new category is for submissions of short scary stories of no more than 100 words from budding writers aged 11-18 years old.

Entrants will be judged and shortlisted by acclaimed children’s author Lari Don, with the winners selected by on-line voting via PFT’s website.

Winning entries will be read aloud at the Winter Words Festival on Saturday, February 5. Full details on both competitions at www.PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com

The Winter Words Festival runs from January 28 to February 6.