<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">A WRITING competition has been launched to celebrate the re-opening of the Borders Railway. </span> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">A WRITING competition has been launched to celebrate the re-opening of the Borders Railway. </span> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">The initiative is being run by Scottish Borders Council (SBC) and its creative writing magazine The Eildon Tree. Writers aged eight and over, of all abilities, are being encouraged to submit their poems and short stories inspired by the re-opening of the line between Edinburgh and Tweedbank.</span> <p class="x_MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Entrants might chose to write a poem or short story which is a fairy-tale, love story, thriller or fantasy, or any kind of genre - and it can be factual or fictional. </span> <p class="x_MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">In deciding the winners consideration will be given to the relevancy of each entry to the spirit of the competition, which is a celebration of the reopening of the Borders Railway</span> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">As well as a cash prize or book tokens for the schools categories, the winning entries (1st, 2nd and 3rd prize) in each category will be published in a special booklet, Waverley Lines.</span> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">The first prize winner of the best poem or short story will win a pair of Golden Tickets for the special train journeys from one of the three Scottish Borders railway stations at Tweedbank, Galashiels or Stow on Saturday 5 September. </span> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">The closing date for entries is Friday 26 June at 5pm and will be judged anonymously bythe Eildon Tree editorial team</span> <p style="margin-bottom: 12pt;" class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Councillor Vicky Davidson, Executive Member for Culture, Sport, Youth and Communities, said: “The anthology of new writing inspired by the return of the railway will be aptly titled 'Waverley Lines' and I hope will be a lasting memento of the railway celebrations. It is a fairly tight deadline so writers young and old should start planning their entries now.”</span> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Julian Colton, Co-editor of The Eildon Tree said: “This is a brilliant opportunity for writers of all ages and abilities to create something memorable to coincide with a truly historical Borders event. The prizes are fantastic.”</span> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">To download an entry form and see the competition guidelines and rules visit <a href="http://www.scotborders.gov.uk/waverleylines" target="_blank">www.scotborders.gov.uk/waverleylines</a>. You can also email <a href="mailto:eildontree@scotborders.gov.uk" target="_blank">eildontree@scotborders.gov.uk</a>, come into any Scottish Borders Council library/contact centre or call SBC’s Arts Development team on <span class="skype_c2c_print_container skype_c2c notranslate">01750 726400</span><span class="skype_c2c_container skype_c2c notranslate" data-numbertocall="+441750726400" data-isfreecall="false" data-isrtl="false" data-ismobile="false"><span class="skype_c2c_highlighting_inactive_common"><span class="skype_c2c_textarea_span"><img class="skype_c2c_logo_img" src="skypec2c://r/204" alt="" width="0" height="0" /><span class="skype_c2c_text_span">01750 726400</span></span></span></span>.</span> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"> </span>