WHO WON IN 2013?

THE WADADLI PEN CHALLENGE 2013 FINALISTS ARE…

ANTIGUA GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL
ASHA GRAHAM
AVECIA JAMES
CHAMMAIAH AMBROSE
DARYL GEORGE
DENNIKA BASCOM
GARVIN JEFFREY BENJAMIN
JAMIKA NEDD
JAMILA H. K. SALANKEY
MICHAELA HARRIS
ST. JOHN’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY
VEGA ARMSTRONG
ZURI HOLDER

*see all shortlisted writers here.

*re prize split – please note that each shortlisted writer receives a Certificate of Achievement as well as discount cards from the Best of Books; and the overall winner’s name has been emblazoned alongside the name of past winners onto the Challenge plaque – sponsored by the Best of Books.

 

SCHOOLS WITH THE MOST SUBMISSIONS

Primary School – St. John’s Catholic Primary – US$500 worth of books sponsored by Hands Across the Sea

Secondary School – Antigua Girls High School – US$500 worth of books sponsored by Hands Across the Seatop

ASHA GRAHAM

Author of Revelations Tonight and Remembrance
Overall Winner (Revelations Tonight), Winner in the 13 to 17 age category (Revelations Tonight) and Third placed in the 13 to 17 age category (Remembrance)

Total prizes:

Cash

$500 sponsored by Conrad Luke of R. K. Luke and Sons and the Leonard Tim Hector Memorial Committee

Literary Opportunities

Sponsored spot – Just Write writers retreat courtesy Brenda Lee Browne

Books

So the Nailhead Bend So the Story End: An Anthology of Antiguan and Barbudan Writing by Althea Prince

Oh Gad! by Joanne C. Hillhouse

LiTTscapes: Landscapes of Fiction from Trinidad and Tobago by Kris Rampersad

Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg and other gifts courtesy the Best of Books

Send out you Hand by Dorbrene O’Marde

The Caribbean Writer Volume 26 & the Antigua and Barbuda Review of Books – women’s edition contributed by Joanne C. Hillhouse

Huracan by Diana McCaulay

Island Princess in Brooklyn by Diane Browne

The Legend of Bat’s Cave and Other Stories by Barbara Arrindell

And more

Original one of a kind journal created by Jane Seagull

Pen sponsored by Pam Arthurton of Carib World Travel and the Antigua and Barbuda International Literary Festival

Two tickets on board Barbuda Express

Gift bag from Raw Island Products

Gift courtesy Joanne C. Hillhouse  top

DARYL GEORGE

Author of Ceramic Blues and Julie Drops
Second placed Overall (Ceramic Blues), Winner (Ceramic Blues) and Second Placed (Julie Drops) in the 18 to 35 age category

Total prizes:

Cash

$200 (patron prefers to remain anonymous)

Literary Opportunities

Sponsored spot – Just Write writers retreat courtesy Brenda Lee Browne

Books

Unburnable by Marie Elena John

So the Nailhead Bend So the Story End: An Anthology of Antiguan and Barbudan Writing by Althea Prince

Dog-Heart by Diana McCaulay

Althea Prince’s In the Black: New African Canadian Literature (contributed by Joanne C. Hillhouse)

Send out you Hand by Dorbrene O’Marde

Tides that Bind and the Road to Wadi Halfa by Claudia Elizabeth Ruth Francis

Sweet Lady by Elaine Spires

Book gift courtesy Silver Lining supermarket

Gifts courtesy the Best of Books

And more

2 tickets on board Barbuda Express

Lunch for two at Keyonna Beach

Lunch for two – Bayhouse Restaurant @ Tradewinds Hotel

Gifts courtesy Joanne C. Hillhouse  top

ZURI HOLDER

Author of The Big Event
Third placed overall and first placed in the 12 and younger age category

Total prizes:

Books

So the Nailhead Bend So the Story End: An Anthology of Antiguan and Barbudan Writing by Althea Prince

The Legend of Bat’s Cave and Other Stories by Barbara Arrindell

Gifts courtesy the Best of Books

And more

$200 Gift certificate – Stephen B. Shoul

2 tickets on board Barbuda Express

Gift courtesy Joanne C. Hillhouse top

JAMILA H. K. SALANKEY

Author of Her Blackest Sin
Third placed in the 18 to 35 age category

Total prizes:

Books

Send out you Hand by Dorbrene O’Marde

So the Nailhead Bend So the Story End: An Anthology of Antiguan and Barbudan Writing

Tides that Bind and the Road to Wadi Halfa by Claudia Elizabeth Ruth Francis

And More

Gift certificate for Latte, Capuccino or Coffee – Heavenly Java 2 Go.top

MICHAELA HARRIS

Author of Secret of de Mango Tree
Second placed in the 13 to 17 age category

Total prizes:

Books

Island Princess in Brooklyn by Diane Browne

Pink Teacups and Blue Dresses by Floree Williams

So the Nailhead Bend So the Story End: An Anthology of Antiguan and Barbudan Writing by Althea Prince

Gifts courtesy the Best of Books

And More

$50 book gift certificate – Cushion Club top

VEGA ARMSTRONG

Author of Hide and Seek
Second placed in the 12 and younger age category

Total Prizes:

Books

Caribbean Adventure Series – three pack by Carol Mitchell

Gifts courtesy the Best of Books top

CHAMMAIAH AMBROSE

Author of How Tigers Got Stripes
Third placed in the 12 and younger age category

Total prizes:

Books

The Legend of Bat’s Cave and other stories by Barbara Arrindell

Caribbean Adventure Series – three pack by Carol Mitchell

Gifts courtesy the Best of Books top

DENNIKA BASCOM

Winner in the junior section of 2013 Wadadli Pen Art Challenge

Total Prizes:

Seascapes by Carol Mitchell

Gifts courtesy the Best of Books

Gift courtesy Jane Seagull

Gifts courtesy Art at the Ridge top

 

AVECIA JAMES

Second placed in the junior section of the 2013 Wadadli Pen Art Challenge

Total Prizes:

Antigua My Antigua by Barbara Arrindell

Gifts courtesy the Best of Books

Gifts courtesy Art at the Ridge top

 

JAMIKA NEDD

Third placed in the junior section of the 2013 Wadadli Pen Art Challenge

Total Prizes:

Antigua My Antigua by Barbara Arrindell

Gifts courtesy the Best of Books

Gifts courtesy Art at the Ridge top

GARVIN JEFFREY BENJAMIN

Winner in the young adult section of the 2013 Wadadli Pen Art Challenge

Total Prizes:

Gifts courtesy the Best of Books

Gift courtesy Art at the Ridge

Cash gift courtesy Koren Norton and anonymous donor

That he may have the opportunity to collaborate with writer Barbara Arrindell on her next children’s picture book is something we can all look forward to top

Special thanks as well to all the 2013 partners: Barbara Arrindell and the Best of Books, Floree Williams, Devra Thomas, Linisa George, and Brenda Lee Browne. Thanks as well to our media partners who help get the word out, especially Antigua Nice and 365 Antigua who for several years and ongoing have hosted pages for Wadadli Pen on their very busy hubs.

I am Joanne C. Hillhouse. I am first and foremost a writer (author of The Boy from Willlow Bend, Dancing Nude in the Moonlight, Oh Gad! and contributor to other anthologies and journals) who could’ve benefited from this kind of encouragement back in the day. That’s why I do this. Congratulations to all the winners, and remember this is not just a contest; this is our attempt to nurture and showcase Antiguan and Barbudan literary talent. We’ve taken the time over the years to provide feedback to the winning writers, conduct writing workshops including online workshops right here on this site, visit schools, and other activities (such as this site) designed to help young writers hone their skills. As we showcase your best efforts here on https://wadadlipen.wordpress.com we encourage you to keep writing and to remain open to the opportunities to become a better writer.

In the Black – after the launch

In the Black is a late 2012 collection out of Canada. It launched recently, twice. As part of publisher Insomniac’s Fall release and during a special community launch at A Different Booklist.

I’m reading it right now and I’m liking it, but as one of my stories ‘Man of her Dreams’ is in it, I’m not technically an unbiased source. But so far I’m really liking a little something about almost everything. I’ll share my faves in Blogger on Books when I’m done. I did find one solitary reader review which declared it “a diverse” collection with “a good selection”. Said reader review singled out poems by Dwayne Morgan (“very to the point”) and George Elliot Clarke (“very powerful and vivid”) for special mention. I know it’s only one fan but I was tickled to see that she mentioned my story as well and Althea Prince’s Push (for both the language and emotions) though, full disclosure, my niece during a reading exercise using the book picked Motion’s lovely Locks and Love over mine. The point is that as you read you’ll find your own personal favourites, whether you like your fiction with a little or a lot of drama, comedy, romance, sadness, joy, or something else; whether you like your poetry old school or new, traditional or dub or inflected with the rhythm of hip hop. Point is with In the Black, Althea Prince continues to be one of Antigua and Barbuda’s most prolific while at the same time putting out material that says something, that means something. Check earlier works like Being Black, Feminisms and Womanisms,  Ladies of the Night, Loving this Man, and the Politics of Black Women’s Hair (see my thoughts on some of these in the first Blogger on Books). The same week as the launch, she was part of an elite group of writers receiving the Caribbean Canadian literary awards – others were Earl Lovelace, Olive Senior, Ramabai Espinet, Nalo Hopkinson, Dwayne Morgan, Jody Nyasha Warner, and another Antiguan Dr. Carl James.

Althea’s always in good company.

She’s also got a serious network of quality African Canadian writers whom she managed to tap for her freshly pressed collection.

Some, like Catherine Bain, George Elliott Clarke (described as a pioneering scholar for works like Directions Home: Approaches to African Canadian Literature and the poetry collection Blue),

and Dwayne Morgan were new discoveries for me; others like

Clifton Joseph (whose work I’ve previously shared with you here)

and Motion were familiar favourites – and no less enjoyable because of it.

From Gayle Gonsalves to Mansa Trotman to Djanet Sears to Jelani J’Wyze Nias, it’s so far proving to be an interesting (and fun) read.

The writers have represented:

Do you have your copy?

Be sure to save some dollars for another forthcoming collection from Prince, this one featuring new Antiguan writing. That too should be launched before the end of the year.

As with all content on wadadlipen.wordpress.com, except otherwise noted, this is written by Joanne C. Hillhouse (author of The Boy from Willow Bend, Dancing Nude in the Moonlight, and Oh Gad!). All Rights Reserved. If you enjoyed it, check out my page on Amazon, WordPress, and/or Facebook, and help spread the word about Wadadli Pen and my books. You can also subscribe to the site to keep up with future updates. Thanks.

In the Black Launches

This is just a heads up, especially for folks in Canada, that there are two – mark ’em – two opportunities to witness the launch of Dr. Althea Prince’s latest collection in the Black.

Issued by Insomniac Press and edited by Prince, it features works by African Canadian writers (and me), including:

Catherine Bain – One Hand Can’t Clap; George Elliott Clark – A Record of the Ruction; Gayle Gonsalves – A Good Woman; Joanne C. Hillhouse – The Man of Her Dreams; Clifton Joseph – Chuckie Prophesy, *footnote to the end of a love affair, and RITES/FOR WALTER RODNEY; Dwayne Morgan – Tight-Lipped, The Ethnic Vote, Hoop Dreams, Name Calling, Man Up, We Are the Ones; Motion – Locks and Love, Graf, SheLand*, and Be Girl; Jelani Nias – Bottles’ Hustle and Graduation; Althea Prince – Push and They Buried Her Mother Twice; Djanet Sears – Thomasina, Angel, and Me and Christmas Eve; Mansa Trotman – Listen,  Marrow, and Sundays.

Here’s an excerpt from Prince’s introduction included in the book:

This collection consists of fresh writing from a number of authors. The book is consciously intergenerational,
and is a “mix” of genres. The objective is to bring togetherwriters of short fiction, poetry, dub poetry, and
hip hop.
The focus in the collection is on the authors’ subjectivities—all will contribute to an expanded vision of African Canadian literature. The cultural and historical landscape is a vibrant part of the African Canadian imaginary, and is reflected in the writing of the authors whose work is included in the anthology. The collection contains the work of two Governor General’s Award winners, a winner of two Gemini Awards, and other award-winning writers.

…

Clearly, this gathering of African Canadian writers’ fresh writings will be useful in the classroom, as well as for personal collections.

The Insomniac Press launch party is October 22nd at 4 p.m. and a launch is also planned for October 26th at A Different Booklist on 746 Bathhurst Street at 6:30 p.m. Meanwhile, there’s a giveaway which wraps on October 15th, at this writing at goodreads.com

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Coming Soon!