Writing Rammy – Competition Rules

The Writing Rammy is organised and administered by Falkirk Council Libraries.

Entry requirements
Entrants should live in, work in, or regularly visit the Falkirk area. There is no upper or lower age limit.

Entry guidance
Only one entry per person may be submitted. Entries may be in English or Scots

Entries can be in any of the following formats:

• Short fiction
• Poetry
• Comic book / Graphic Novel style 

Entries will be judged in the following categories:

• 8 and under
• 9+
• Young Adult (12+)
• Adult 18+
• Family Rammy: This is the best Family group entry which should consist of one entry each from at least two different family members, submitted together.

Note: Family Rammy entries will also be considered in their appropriate individual age categories

Entry format: Poetry or Fiction
Entries should be no more than 500 words (entries do not need to be as long as 500 words).

Entries should ideally be word processed in minimum 12pt double spaced. Entries can be handed into any library in the area. If submitting the entry digitally, it should be in PDF, MS Word, or similar format.

Please include a word count at the end of the entry on the final page.

Entry format: Graphic story or poem
Entries in comic/graphic story form should be no more than four sides of A4. 

Entries should take the form of sequential art i.e., a series of panels that tell a story or form a poem. Entries that are single panels of art will not be considered.

Entries can be scanned/photographed and submitted by email or handed into any library in the area. 

How to submit your entry
Please include contact details at the bottom of the final page of your entry. This is to enable contact details to be easily obscured, allowing for impartial judging. 

Contact details:

• Over 16s: Please include your name, the area in which you live, email address and a telephone number. You do not need to include your age, but please state that you are an adult.
• Under 16s: Please include your name, age, school, the area in which you live and your guardian’s email address and telephone number.

Entries should be submitted:

• By email to WritingRammy@falkirk.gov.uk by midnight on Sunday 13th October.
• To any to any library in the Falkirk area by closing time on Saturday 12th October Please refer to library opening times.

Submissions received after this time will not be considered. Entries will not be returned, so please remember to keep a copy. We cannot provide individual feedback.

Additional terms and conditions
All entries must be the original work of the entrant and must not infringe the rights of any other party. The Organisers accept no liability if entrants ignore these rules and entrants agree to fully indemnify the Organisers against any claims by any third party arising from any breach of these rules.

Entries must not contain defamatory, obscene, offensive or any other unsuitable material nor contain anything else which is calculated to bring the Organisers into disrepute.

Entrants retain the copyright in their entries but grant Falkirk Council a non-exclusive licence to use their entry for publication on the Falkirk Council website and other library social channels, as well as for any promotional purpose. The Library Service also intends to create an eBook and eAudiobook of the entries, which will be available on the library’s own eService and/or YouTube channel.

By entering the competition, entrants warrant that they have legal capacity to enter the competition and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.

Entrants under the age of 16 should check with a parent, guardian, or teacher before entering the competition, particularly if a child’s entry is being submitted using a parent or guardian's email address.

Entries will be judged by a panel made up of members of the Falkirk Council libraries team and individuals from the local community who are involved in writing, education or journalism.

Selection of entries will be impartial and fair. The selection panel will not know the identity of the entries that they are considering. The decision of the selection panel is final, and no correspondence will be entered into about the selection process.

The winners will be contacted by a member of Falkirk Council Libraries Team within a six-week period after the competition has closed. If the winner cannot be contacted after reasonable attempts have been made to do so, the Organisers reserve the right to offer the prize to the next best entry.

The Organisers reserve the right to amend these Terms and Conditions or cancel this competition at any stage, if deemed necessary in its opinion, and if circumstances arise outside its control. In this event, a notice will be posted on the Falkirk Council website.

These terms and conditions are governed by the laws of Scotland.