The Mallaig Book Festival
                    A Write Highland Hoolie!
               7 - 9  November 2025 

We're delighted to announce that the winner of this year's Deirdre Roberts Poetry Competition is Aidan Semmens, for his poem 'Not Dead'.

​

Aidan is a retired journalist who lives in Orkney. He was formerly a sub-editor on newspapers including the Independent and the Daily Mirror - and he also worked on the sports desk at the News of the World.

​

Aidan has been writing poetry for over 20 years and has been published in a variety of magazines. Earlier this year, he was the English-language winner of the Scottish Poetry Library's Julia Budenz Commemorative Prize.

​

Aidan will be presented with his prize by our judge Don Paterson at the Hoolie on Friday November 8th at the conclusion of Don's own event. He will receive an engraved quaich, £250 in cash, £250 Highland Bookshop book tokens and a bottle of whisky.