The deadline for Bridport Literary Festival's first student bursary scheme is fast approaching.

Local students planning to go to university this autumn who are in Year 13 at the Beaminster-Colfox joint sixth-form or just finishing a gap year or live within Dorset Council's Bridport ward have until August 31 to apply.

Two bursaries of £3,000 a year are available for each year of a three-year undergraduate degree course in any subject. 

To be considered for one of the two bursaries, students should complete the application form on the Bridport Literary Festival website at bridlit.com/bursaries 

In no more than 4,000 characters, they need to explain why they think they are a suitable candidate, why they have chosen their subject of study and how they see the BridLit Bursary helping them to achieve their goals. They will also be asked for the names and contact details of two referees.

The process is very simple and every young person in the Bridport area who is planning to go to university this autumn is encouraged to apply.

BridLit already supports Read Easy, a nationwide charity with an active branch in Bridport, which helps adults with reading difficulties. 

It also helps the Bank of Dreams and Nightmares, a registered charity which offers free creative writing workshops to West Dorset children aged 7-18. 

This year's Bridport Literary Festival, the main sponsor of which is West Dorset law firm Kitson & Trotman, takes place in venues in and around the town from November 5 to 11. Tickets go on general sale on Friday, August 25. 

The programme is available online at bridlit.com and printed programmes will soon be available at various locations throughout West Dorset, including Bridport Tourist Information Centre in the town's Bucky Doo Square, which will again act as the festival box office.