Moniack Mhor facts for kids
Moniack Mhor is a special place in Scotland where people learn to write. It's a creative writing center located in the beautiful Scottish Highlands. Moniack Mhor is about fourteen miles away from the city of Inverness. This center is a registered charity. This means it's a non-profit group that helps people. It gets support from an organization called Creative Scotland.
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What is Moniack Mhor?
Moniack Mhor is a famous writing center. It helps people of all ages improve their writing skills. The center is in a quiet, inspiring location. It offers many different types of writing courses.
Learning to Write at Moniack Mhor
Since it started, Moniack Mhor has offered special writing courses. These courses usually last for about a week. Famous writers often teach these classes. Other guest speakers also visit to share their knowledge.
People of all skill levels attend these courses. This includes experienced writers and even teenagers. You can learn many types of writing here. Some courses teach you how to write stories (fiction). Others focus on true stories (non-fiction). There are also classes for poetry and plays. You can even learn to write about travel or create songs.
Many well-known writers have taught at Moniack Mhor. These include Morag Joss and Carol Ann Duffy. Other teachers have been William McIlvanney and Alasdair Gray. Musicians like Findlay Napier and Bella Hardy have also taught songwriting.
Helping Young Writers
Moniack Mhor also has special programs for young people. These programs help young writers in the Highlands. They learn about creative writing in fun ways. The center also offers financial help. These are called bursaries. They help people who might find it hard to pay for a course. This makes sure everyone has a chance to learn.
How Moniack Mhor Started
Moniack Mhor began in 1993. It was first part of a larger writing charity. This charity was called the Arvon Foundation. In 1999, the center closed for a short time. But it soon opened again and continued its work.
In 2015, Moniack Mhor became its own independent organization. It received funding from Creative Scotland. This allowed it to grow and offer even more programs.
Awards and Fellowships
Moniack Mhor is also known for its awards. Places on their writing courses are often given as prizes. For example, winners of the Caledonia Novel Award receive a spot. The Scottish Book Trust's Next Chapter Award also offers this prize.
Special Writing Opportunities
The center offers several special opportunities. These are called fellowships and bursaries. They help writers develop their skills.
- The Jessie Kesson Fellowship: This helps writers with their projects.
- Emerging Writer Award: This award supports new writers.
- Writing for Children Bursary: This helps people who want to write books for kids.
- Travel Writing Bursary: This supports writers who focus on travel stories.
- Katharine Stewart Bursary: Another bursary to help writers.
Highland Book Prize
In 2017, Moniack Mhor helped create a new award. It is called the Highland Book Prize. They worked with The Highland Society of London. The Ullapool Book Festival also helped start this prize. This award celebrates great books from the Highlands.