Celebrate the many voices of island communities with words, images and conversations.

Orkney Islands Council have commissioned Gabrielle Barnby to be Scrivener for the Orkney 2025 Island Games. She aims to inspire and compile pieces of writing from island groups participating in Orkney 2025 Island Games and produce a dazzling collection of words and responses that captures the rich diversity of voices present in island communities.

Orkney Arts, Museums and Heritage will be showcasing submissions on-line and in a beautiful, unique pocket-book featuring images from community members working with Solisquoy Printmakers.

Join the Orkney 2025 Island Games collaborative write and response project.

Submissions are invited in a wide variety of prose styles including memoir, nature writing, descriptions of place, season and celebrations, diaries, personal reflections and historical narratives. You do not need to be a published writer, or even consider yourself a writer at all, everyone is welcome to try their hand. There are three prompts to start you writing journey or simply set your own compass and away you go.

Once original pieces have been submitted participants will be invited to read and respond to writing submitted from a different island group. This will create a conversation that will be incorporated into the final publication.

Ready…set…write!