WHAT a fine response we had to the first Jan Fairley Memorial Award for Edinburgh-connected arts journalism with a social or international outlook.

The aim of the award is to encourage and support new writers and writing. Altogether more than 30 pieces have been submitted from 17 different writers, giving the judging panel, which is still being assembled, a tough but rewarding task. We look forward to the reading, sifting and thinking that lies ahead.

If you submitted, a large “thank you”, and we will be in touch with everyone in due course. If you didn’t, we hope that this year’s award will be an inspiration for the future.