Wheeler wins award

THE WINNER of this year’s Rhoda Bulter Award is Lucy Wheeler. Her linocut was chosen by the Bulter family, who judged the art competition, from a wide range of entries inspired by Rhoda’s poems.

 Rhoda’s daughter Margaret Stevenson said she and her brothers and sisters had been delighted with the overall standard of work submitted for the competition, which was promoted by dialect group Shetland ForWirds on behalf of the family.

She said: “We aa loved Lucy’s beautiful pictir. It easily met da remit in its interpretation o da poem aboot da Nort Wind, an wis very skilfully executed – a truly beautifully presented pictir dat we wir aa draan tae.”

Wheeler, whose entry was inspired by Rhoda’s ‘Peerie Rhymes for Peerie Bairns’, said she was delighted.

“Rhoda Bulter was an inspirational woman in both her poetry and artwork,” Wheeler said. “It conjures up memories of my upbringing on a Fair Isle croft and the worry of weather at lambing time. I’m so pleased that Rhoda’s family liked my print and felt that it visually represented the poem.”

As well as the award, Lucy will get a copy of ‘Hairst Is Coosed’, the newly published collection of Rhoda Bulter’s Shetland poems. The trophy will be presented at an Auld Newerday Fjaana in the Baila Room, Sound Hall on Saturday 10 January.  Shetland ForWirds hope to have an exhibition of all the short-listed entries early in the New Year. 

‘PEERIE RHYMES FOR PEERIE BAIRNS’ 

Da nort wind’ll blaa

An we’ll hae snaa

An whaat will da caddies dü dan, poor tings ?

We’ll git dem weel bül’d

Wi some hey an dry müld,

Or dey’ll mebbe moor up in a fan, poor tings.