The winners of a creative writing competition organised by Clan Cancer Support in partnership with The P&J have been honoured at a celebration event for The BookBench Trail.
More than 1,600people visited The BookBench Trail’s Farewell Event at The Music Hall in Aberdeen this weekend (September 20 and 21), ahead of the much-loved sculptures being sold at auction for Clan Cancer Support.
The BookBench Trail Creative Writing Competition was open to writers from primary school age and up, with organisers requesting submissions took inspiration from one of three themes; bringing The BookBench Trail mascot Alby to life in an adventure, celebrating a location from The BookBench Trail or exploring the concept of opening up and sharing a story about your innermost feelings and experiences.
Winning entries included six-year-old Cara Whytock who wrote about BookBench mascot Alby the Bookworm’s adventure to Banff, while winner in the 7-10 category Natalie Thomspon submitted a short story about a treasure hunt in Stonehaven.
Millie Hamill was the overall winner in the 11-17 aged category with a poem entitled ‘The Flower’ and Eilidh Bain was announced as the winner of the 18 years and over category with her poem ‘Open Up’.
The winners and runners-up from each category were presented with certificates and prizes kindly donated by Waterstones, Somerville Books, Forest Farm and Strachans Inverurie.
The winners and runners up from each category had their submissions displayed at the Farewell Weekend Event with the winning entries being printed in The P&J this week.
Fiona Fernie, Clan Cancer Support’s CEO, said: “Our competition judges had a hard task on their hands as the quality of entries we received was extremely high. It’s clear we have a lot of very talented writers in our communities and I think the trail and the theme of opening up has created some beautiful stories.
“It was wonderful to honour the winners and runners up for each category at our Farewell celebration event. Their work was also on display throughout the weekend so guests could appreciate their creativity alongside the sculptures which inspired their work.
“I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to enter the competition and all those who joined us at the Music Hall at the weekend for what was a very special event.”
The weekend’s event was the final opportunity to view and ‘collect’ all the BookBench sculptures before they go under the hammer with celebrity auctioneer Natasha Raskin Sharp at The Chester Hotel next month (October 8).
It was also the first chance to see two special edition BookBenches - Worth the W-Eight and Bees and Blooms - which were revealed by the charity especially for the event.
Worth the W-Eight by local artist Ewen Milne commemorates Aberdeen FC’s triumphant 2025 Scottish Cup victory through a blend of nostalgia, storytelling and vibrant illustration.
Bees and Blooms is a mini BookBench created by Johanna Basford which is similar in style to the larger sculpture which the Scottish Illustrator designed and was placed in Duthie Park during the trail.
Both sculptures were given a special viewing area on the iconic stage of the Music Hall with guests invited to see them before they are sold at auction in a few weeks’ time.
Fiona Fernie added: “We are now at the final stage of the trail which will see us auction off our beautiful sculptures to new homes, with all the funds raised being used to provide much needed services for people impacted by a cancer diagnosis.
“We’d like to thank everyone who has supported the project so far and would encourage any hopeful bidders to register their interest online now or join us at The Chester on October 8 to raise their paddle.”
The auction event will take place at 6.30pm on Wednesday, October 8 at The Chester Hotel in Aberdeen with tickets still available to the public from £25.
Interested buyers can now view all auction lots and make an expression of interest or place a bid by checking out the online auction catalogue.
Sales of the items - which include 32 large and five small individually designed BookBench sculptures - will help raise vital funds for the charity, with bids starting at £3,000 per design.
An online bidding room will also be available for those who can’t attend the auction in person and wish to place a bid.
In partnership with Wild in Art, The BookBench Trail aims to raise awareness of the leading north-east cancer charity which runs five support centres and additional outreach programmes across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Orkney and Shetland and generate vital funding for its services.
Clan’s previous trail projects Light the North (2021) and The Big Hop Trail (2023) have raised a combined total of more than £520,000 for Clan services.
For more information, please visit: www.clancancersupport.org/the-book-bench-trail/auction/