Writer sought to gather Dumfries and Galloway folklore
A writer is being sought to gather and retell folklore, myths, legends and tales about Dumfries and Galloway.
The initiative is being organised by the Wigtown Book Festival with funding from Fresh Start for the Arts.
It has been loosely inspired by John Mactaggart's work of 1876, the Scottish Gallovidian Encyclopaedia.
Festival director Adrian Turpin said the region was "rich in stories and legends" and people still enjoyed telling such tales.
"We are working with Fresh Start to find one, or more, authors who can gather up these stories, a little like Mactaggart did in the 19th Century, and retell them for a 21st Century audience," he said.
"Back then the printed page was the main way of recording stories, but these days we have all sorts of other options such as web publications, so this could take all sorts of exciting forms."
Candidates need to be published authors and will be expected to meet people across the region, in Wigtownshire, The Stewartry, Nithsdale, Annandale and Eskdale to gather source material.
They will also attend this year's Wigtown Book Festival.
Kathleen O'Neill, Fresh Start project manager, said: "We love this idea; it's hugely imaginative and a great opportunity to really uncover the essence of Dumfries and Galloway.
"It's exactly the kind of project we want to encourage because it promotes local arts and creativity and shines a light on the culture of the whole region.
"We are also very pleased to be working with the Wigtown Book Festival, one of the international cultural events for which Dumfries and Galloway is famous."