Pushing Out the Boat

18/12/2025

The Literary Lights Creative Writing Prize 2026 is now open for entries from students registered at University of Aberdeen What's On 📝 Supported by Grassic Gibbon Centre & Cafe, the annual prize awards £100 to the best submission of prose fiction or creative non-fiction up to 3000 words. The closing date is Friday 17 April 2026. More details in the pic!

04/12/2025

🎄Visit our website to catch up on a year's worth of news and events in our 2025 Seasonal Newsletter - a particularly special one marking our 25th year in production. ⬇️

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News and Announcements Season's Greetings from Pushing Out the Boat Posted on 1 December 2025   POTB Christmas Newsletter 2025 With 2025 drawing to a close, the time has come again to sit back and reflect on a busy and successful year for Pushing Out the Boat. This is an opportunity to celebrate a ...

26/11/2025

Join us on Wednesday 28th January, at either the Sir Duncan Rice Library (room 224) or Aberdeen Central Library to find out how you can be involved in the festival and shape our future programming. Do you have a great idea for an event? Or a passion for making things happen? Want to learn new skills in the creative industries?

WayWORD Festival provides opportunities and support for young people (16-26) and students to devise, develop and programme arts events in Aberdeen: author events, workshops, panel discussions and performances. Think literature, poetry, visual arts, music, theatre and new or unique media!

You do not need to have an idea just yet (although it is fab if you do!) because we will support you to devise and develop an idea during the session.

This opportunity is for young people aged 17-26.

Sign up for one of the ideas sessions at www.waywordfestival.com

18/11/2025

🎄It may seem a tad early to mention the C word… but we all know it comes round fast!

🎁 A copy of Pushing Out the Boat magazine makes for a great Christmas stocking filler - order now for delivery in plenty time!

https://www.pushingouttheboat.co.uk/order-online/

18/11/2025

💫Head to our blog to read about October’s “Spotlighting North East Magazines” event with Way WORD Festival

https://www.pushingouttheboat.co.uk/blog/?doing_wp_cron=1763470241.6793239116668701171875 %20North%20East%20Magazines

27/10/2025

💡Vendor spotlight

✨We have reached our final highlight in the Issue 18 vendor series!

What better way to top it all off than to celebrate the late NE Scotland author, Lewis Grassic Gibbon and his epic legacy. We are proud to stock Issue 18 in a centre which strives to amplify the Scottish novelist voice.

Grassic Gibbon Centre & Cafe

20/10/2025

💡Vendor Spotlight

✨Describing itself as "dedicated to preserving the past, present, and future of Scottish rural life", The Glenesk Folk Museum & Visitor Centre is a beacon of knowledge in the Aberdeenshire countryside. Immerse yourself in local history and culture with a visit followed by a browse through your new copy of Issue 18!

https://www.gleneskfolkmuseum.org/

13/10/2025

💡Vendor spotlight

✨Boasting incredible views to Clachnaben⛰, this countryside restaurant is home to all things sweet. Homemade bread and bakes, a fancy farmhouse larder and a vast selection of art prints, books and homeware - Finzean Farm Shop stocks it all. Come and get your fill, and a copy of Issue 18.

06/10/2025

💡Vendor spotlight

✨With an enticing selection of new and second-hand books, Rosemount's newly opened independent bookshop, Somerville Books, hopes to welcome you soon! We are excited to be stocked in this up-and-coming space - do pay them a visit!

05/10/2025

Pushing Out the Boat contributor Marka Rifat wins the 2025 Toulmin Prize 🙌

Congratulations to Marka Rifat the winner of the Toulmin Prize 2025! Marka read aloud her story, Thyme's Arrow, to an enthralled audience at the prizegiving event at the WayWord Festival in the Sir Duncan Rice Library at the University of Aberdeen this afternoon. Sheena Blackhall, also read excerpts from a Toulmin story at the event, and Lesley Crerar, BSL signer, signed at the event.
Marka was presented with a prize of £500 generously donated by the Reid family.
Pictured (l to r) Sheila Reid, a Toulmin competition judge (no relation to the Reid family), Marka Rifat, Toulmin Prize winner 2025, Richard Bennett, Lead Toulmin Judge, and Toulmin's grandsons Richard, Martin and Steven Reid.
Well done Marka!
University of Aberdeen LLMVC University of Aberdeen, English and Creative Writing

05/10/2025

Those of you in attendance on Wednesday's Way WORD Festival event, "Spotlighting North East Magazines", will agree it was a fantastic celebration of Scottish and Irish prose and poetry.

We were joined by Causeway/Cabhsair magazine who launched their 14th issue with a bang, sending forth three new readers to the spotlight.

Three of our own contributors were delighted to perform alongside members of the Causeway crew making for a refreshing mix of new writing.

Read more about the event in a blog post to follow.

02/10/2025

✨Happy National Poetry Day!

Forward Arts Foundation's annual celebration of all things poetry is here!

This year's theme:

🎭Play🎮

In recognition, enjoy a snippet of Issue 16 contributor Iain Twiddy's ode to a comical childhood toy, "Red Spider."🕷