Foreword  

There is a resurgence of interest and activity in Dunedin’s Scottish heritage.

Many threads of Dunedin’s history are Scottish, from its street names to the name of the city itself and the value of education and literature that the first Scottish immigrants brought with them. 

Dunedin and Edinburgh have been Sister Cities for over forty years and in 2014 these bonds were strengthened with the designation of Dunedin as New Zealand’s first UNESCO City of Literature, alongside Edinburgh as the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature. Building on this rich Scottish heritage, there is a growing interest and energy in the celebration of Dunedin’s Scottish culture from the St Andrews Day celebration in the Octagon, this year to be celebrated on Sunday 26 November, to the annual Robbie Rocks competition featuring the best of our young musicians, to the iconic Burns Dinner.

Within this resurgence, the Robert Burns Poetry Competition has now been linked with Dunedin’s City of Literature designation and with the generosity of sponsors, now includes cash prizes of $1,000 for the winner of the published poet section and $500 for the winners in the unpublished poet and young poet sections. The Competition will be promoted not only in Dunedin and throughout New Zealand, but internationally through the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, further strengthening Dunedin’s reputation as a literary and creative city.

Can I encourage the readers of NB to immerse themselves in the rich literary and cultural heritage of Dunedin and its Scottish forebears, and to enjoy the wealth on offer?