Thanks to a project marking the Shetland Year of Dialect, poetry has appeared in shop windows in the centre of Shetland's capital.
The poetry on display has emerged from a competition that ran towards the end of 2013. Twelve poems were chosen and all are in Shetland dialect. Shops on Lerwick's main street donated prizes for the best three poems.
The display follows a very successful "Bards in the Bog" competition, which saw poetry displayed in Shetland's public conveniences and, later in the year, this fresh group of poems will be available in the same places. The initiative involves the Shetland Library, dialect group Shetland Forwirds and the town centre development project, Living Lerwick.
Morag Nicolson from Shetland Library said: “Bards is much appreciated by poets and the public. I think a project like this is a very good way to bring poetry out into public spaces and grab folks" attention. It's good to see that dialect writing is so popular and of such a high standard.”
The entries were judged by a panel from Shetland Forwirds, kicking off a busy year of activities and events for the group. Committee member Laureen Johnson said: "Wir been delighted ta gie a haand wi dis competition. It's been encouragin ta see da response, an da standard o writin. Whit a great wye ta start da Year o Shetland Dialect!”
All the poems from Bards on the Street and Bards in the Bog can also be seen on the Shetland Library website.