A Bright Future for Tomorrow

by Andre J. P. Warner, 21

The quiet crunches of footsteps on the decrepit asphalt echoed in the barren landscape, sparsely occupied by wilted weeds and rundown buildings. Lucas, a lean bronze skinned young man walked towards the coast silently eyeing his destination, his eyes kept low from the blaring sun. His steady pace soon came to a stop as the road took an abrupt plunge into murky waters, filled with detritus. Lucas’s gaze locked on the lone building visible in the distance; partially submerged, with the paint barely reflecting the orange hew it once held. Lucas began to undress for the unpleasant dive he wished to avoid, but with his increase in asthma symptoms, that old hospital was the only place where he could find the Ventolin inhalers he needed. With a grimace and a deep breath, Lucas took his dive.

Steadily swimming, Lucas began to think about what led to the country he lived in being in this state. The answer was simple, it just simply got hotter. Global warming peaked melting the icecaps, elevating sea levels to the point where the sea took 30% of the land. The sea ports, airports, coastline hotels, and all the offshore islands sunk! St Johns, Green Bay, Coolidge and all areas close to the coast along with every beach simply disappeared, so fast were the effects that there was no time to plan for the devastating economic effects. With this new aquatic territory, Sargassum sea-weed flourished, creating many forests around the island inhabited by the most vicious predator, Lionfish. As the kings of the underwater jungle, they destroyed most aquatic wildlife with their indiscriminate feeding. Lucas came back to focus as he reached his destination and began his frantic search, the results were lacking, but the single dosage he found would have to do. Doubling back, he swam to shore for his trek to Scott’s hill where he lived, one of the few decent places left on island.

Lucas approached the base of the hill to his home he heard a sharp crunch, lifting his leg he saw the source, a brown shell. Staring at the shattered remains of the shell he recalled the past behind them. The April of 2008 was the day when the first infestation of the Giant African Snail was identified, a small patch in Jolly Hill. A manageable infestation but due to mismanagement the invasion spread, in the eyes of the public and the government they were not that important. The farmers were the first to complain, then a few communities, but the masses did not complain; after all it wasn’t their properties. Then the businesses started complaining; the government put up a few initiatives and even put a bounty on snails, but who wanted to pick up nasty snails in hot sun for only five dollars a bag? As time passed they spread like the slow stream of water on the dinner table, you only noticed when it’s dripping on your lap. The nation was flooded; the government still dragged their feet even when the tourists complained. The snails were seen and ignored until disaster truly struck. In November 2020 the corona virus hit the nation, one that could not even properly fend off Dengue fever. The initial cases were contained but, an unknown fact was that the snails were perfect vector for both dengue and the corona virus. Within the bodies of the snails these viruses fused to create, the Krylan virus. The discovery of this virus was at a point which it was too late; a mortality rate of 55% devastated the island and Antigua was quarantined from the rest of the world. The government in desperation released the strongest toxin possible in an attempt to quell the outbreak, this did yield results but also destroyed local species and biodiversity. Between the deadly virus and the now barren land Antigua was evacuated, with a small group of villagers including Lucas’s grandparents.

The thought of the injustice of his ruined nation ignited a fire in Lucas. “You selfish bastards,” he yelled. The politicians and tycoons who profited from pollution, ignoring the consequences. “Those impudent worthle-” it was at this moment Ben realized he could no longer hear himself. With his simmering passion rapidly cooling, he was able to come to the realization that his mike was…off? Eager to return to his speech, Ben rapidly tapped the power button; his futile efforts led to the realization that he had been muted! A rising heat was felt in his cheeks as a slight blush was formed as he slowly raised his head and looked at his audience who had been forgotten in his fervor. There were variety of expressions to be seen, with half of the viewing audience shocked. The expression on his principal’s face was that of restrained anger, who had warned him not to embarrass his institution with “foolishness”. Faces of resentment were worn by the minister who had expected to be praised, not criticized. Visages of amusement and barely restrained laughter adorned the faces of all his classmates. Lastly was resignation in the face of his teacher who begged him not to ‘overdo’. In the corner of his eye Ben spotted a waving hand signaling him to leave, facing the crowd he quickly said “thank you” and strutted off stage. Passing the shocked speaker of ceremonies, on his way to the exit Ben heard her sputter out “T-that was Mr. Ben Mascal and his piece titled ‘A Bright Future for Tomorrow.’ I-I want to thank you all once again for coming out to our sustainable development awards program, here at the parliament building”. The voice faded as Ben left with the knowledge that he was clearly suspended, but with a small smile on his face with the feeling of his message being heard. Staring over the cityscape, with the ocean reflecting the Sun’s glow on his face Ben whispered “it might just be a bright future after-all.”

ABOUT the story: “The exploration of a young man in a now dystopian Antigua ravaged by climate change and its effects. This piece was inspired by my own ‘what if’ scenarios and the award sub-heading.” This story won the 18 to 35 age category and the Imagine a Future/Climate Change themed prize, and tied for the main prize in the Wadadli Youth Pen Prize 2020 Challenge.

ABOUT the author: Antiguan writer with a passion for reading and the literary arts…also fond of chess and hiking. Warner is one of five 2018 Wadadli Pen honourable mentions.

ABOUT prizes won:

Each winner is also set to receive a certificate, a selection of books from The Best of Books Bookstore and cultural items from the Cultural Development Division – Antigua and Barbuda.

Prizes – Patrons:

Winner 18 – 35 –
EC$200 and a signed copy of London Rocks – Brenda Lee Browne; dinner for 2 – Hermitage Bay; signed copy of Musical Youth (hard cover edition) by Joanne C. Hillhouse

Winner ‘Imagine a Future’ Climate Change Theme – 
EC$500 – Juneth Webson (businesswoman and writer – Milo’s First Winter)

Main Prize Winner (tied) – 

EC$500 – Frank B. Armstrong; free eye exam – Paradise Vision Center; US$250 worth of books – Sean Lyons; journal – Just Write journal by Brenda Lee Browne (Just Write); name emblazoned on The Wadadli Youth Pen Prize Alstyne Allen Memorial Challenge plaque – The Best of Books

For the full breakdown of ‘who won what’, if not linked, use the site’s search feature.

ABOUT Wadadli Pen: The Wadadli Youth Pen Prize launched in 2004 with a writing Challenge that continues 16 years later. It is Wadadli Pen’s pilot project, in keeping with its mandate to nurture and showcase the literary arts in Antigua and Barbuda, encouraging  writers (and visual artists) in Antigua and Barbuda (35 years and younger) to create a piece on any topic, within a Caribbean aesthetic. In 2020, there was also an Imagine a Future climate change challenge. To support the work of Wadadli Pen, contact wadadlipen@gmail.com

 

Please respect the author’s copyright. If you share, excerpt, credit, and link back; do not republish without permission nor without crediting.

Tom, the Ninja Crab

by Cheyanne Darroux, 11, Golden Grove Primary

It was a clear, still night and the moon shone so brightly through the waters that Tom, the crab couldn’t sleep.

Suddenly he saw a beautiful sight. A bright red light moved along the shore and threw down into the water, a long flame. Being a curious crab, Tom swam towards the shore and met the light as it stopped over a rock. There underneath the light lay six great salmon looking at the flame with their great, googly eyes, waggling their tails as if they were pleased with it.

Tom climbed on the rock to look at this wonderful light. He heard a voice say ‘Forget the rules. We have to sell the salmon to make a living’.

Another voice said ‘If we do that the Animal Safety Control will arrest us. We are breaking the law. We can only hunt two animals per week or else spend 52 years in prison.’

‘I am willing to risk it. The money is worth it.’

Tom saw two men scoop up the salmon, put them in a cooler and roar away in their boat.

Tom jumped off the rock and followed the boat to see what they would do with the salmon.

The men stopped the boat and ran up on the sand to a shack.

Tom jumped out of the water, clacking his claws ‘I am Tom the Ninja crab. Let the salmon go. Hi-eee —’

Instead they caught him mid-air and put him in the cooler with the salmon.

‘Don’t worry’, Tom said to the whimpering salmon. ‘I will save you. We will not stay in this cooler forever. Wait for me. I am coming back’.

Using his claws, Tom punched a hole in the cooler and jumped over the edge of the boat into the water. He surfaced and saw the men talking on a cell phone. A taxi pulled up. They jumped in, with the cooler still talking on a cell phone’

Tom was tired, but then he felt a tap on the back of his shell and before he knew it he was flying in the air, held tightly in the beak of a frigate bird.

‘My name is Freddy and you saved me once from being cooked by a group of boys. I can still remember one of them crying in pain from you pinching his nose. Hold on.’

‘Follow that taxi, Freddy!’ cried Tom.

Freddy followed the taxi until it stopped at the St. John’s market. He landed just outside the Market Street entrance and gently lowered Tom onto the ground. Then he rose into the air and flew off into the night.

‘Thank you, Freddy!’ cried Tom.

The two men jumped out of the taxi with the cooler. They placed it on a table and started to shout ‘Come buy your salmon. Fresh from the sea!’

Tom leapt on the table and the people screamed and started running. One lady pushed over the cooler and the salmon fell into a bucket of water, that was luckily near the table.

‘Halt in the name of the law!’

A woman and a man in Animal Safety Patrol uniform grabbed the men and handcuffed them. They put the salmon back into the cooler.

‘You get these little guys back into the water,’ said the man. ‘and I will take these men to the station.’

Tom followed the woman across the street, through the fish stalls and heard the splash.

Satisfied he jumped and as he swam away, he began to sing.

I am Tom, the ninja Crab
Don’t mess with me
Don’t trouble my friends
Or I’ll deal with you
You don’t know when

‘HI-EEE-YAH!’

ABOUT the story: “My story is about a crab who fights on behalf of the creatures with his karate and his wit. My story is inspired by my father, who is a fisherman and who takes me, my brother, and sister out on the sea.” This work of fiction is winner of the 7-12 age category of the Wadadli Youth Pen Prize 2020 Challenge. It also tied for the main prize – the first tie in the history of Wadadli Pen – making Cheyanne the first 12 and younger winner to claim the main prize.

ABOUT the author: Cheyanne sails, plays pan, and reads and writes stories. Her literary skills have been honed as a member of Quality Generation, the children’s auxiliary of the Vibrant Faith Ministries.

ABOUT prizes won:

Each winner is also set to receive a certificate, a selection of books from The Best of Books Bookstore and cultural items from the Cultural Development Division – Antigua and Barbuda.

Age Category Prizes – Patrons:

Winner – 7 to 12 –
EC$250 – Photogenesis; books (3) – Cindy’s Bookstore 

Main Prize Winner (tied) –
EC$500 – anonymous; free eye exam – Paradise Vision Center; US$250 worth of books sponsored by – Sean Lyons; custom-made journal – Jane Seagull; name emblazoned on The Wadadli Youth Pen Prize Alstyne Allen Memorial Challenge plaque – sponsored by The Best of Books

For the full breakdown of ‘who won what’, if not linked (yet), use the site’s search feature.

ABOUT Wadadli Pen: The Wadadli Youth Pen Prize launched in 2004 with a writing Challenge that continues 16 years later. It is Wadadli Pen’s pilot project, in keeping with its mandate to nurture and showcase the literary arts in Antigua and Barbuda, encouraging  writers (and visual artists) in Antigua and Barbuda (35 years and younger) to create a piece on any topic, within a Caribbean aesthetic. In 2020, there was also an Imagine a Future climate change challenge. To support the work of Wadadli Pen, contact wadadlipen@gmail.com

Please respect the author’s copyright. If you share, excerpt, credit, and link back; do not republish without permission nor without crediting.

Youth Award Winners (2018) include Wadadli Pen’s Kyle – Congrats!

(Kyle collecting his 2018 Wadadli Pen Challenge prize because I don’t have images from the 2019 National Youth Awards)

That’s right, not for the first time (2013 and 2014 Challenge winner Asha Graham also won one) a Wadadli Pen finalist, Kyle Christian who copped the Challenge Prize in 2018, has been named winner of the Department of Youth Affairs’ National Youth Awards literary prize. The ceremony was held this past week. Kyle is off island (to the best of our knowledge) pursuing further studies but hopefully a family member was able to attend in his stead. He has our congratulations as do other winners. Beginning with the arty-ish ones, they include:

Raena Bird – founder of online media platform Chattabox – winner of the media award

Performing arts winners – dramatist and drama teacher Malique Marsh and National Youth Choir Member Shenique Jarvis-Daniel

Visual artist – already an acclaimed cinematographer for films like Skate Kitchen who made his directorial debut recently with the short Dadli (both covered here on the blog) – Shabier Kirchner (based in the US)

Young Artisan Christopher Terry who is a Barbados based award winning chef

Activist Shenita Rose who used her creative skills to fight bullying (also covered here on the blog)

Shouting out former Cushion Club member, now a Cushion Club leader, Guide leader, Halo Foundation Generation Y volunteer and more Latisha Browne who took home the individual Community Service Award. The Community Group Award went to JCI Antigua.

And continuing with:

The Phoenix Award to St. Clare Cleofoster Henry (executive member of the disability association)

Young Farmer Lakome Francis

Young Agro-processor Saran Patricia King (president of the Antigua and Barbuda Network of Rural Women Producers and Processors)

Barbuda’s Best Andrae Lee (for his impressive entrepreneurial achievements in real estate and more)

Akeem Daley (for Tourism related to his diving and rescue certification)

Daveile Payne Abbott (who also works in media, for entrepreneurship related to her Glam Muse beauty project)

Young Professional Tiffany Azille (an educator and text author)

Education award recipients – Keondre Herbert, Stephanie Archibald, Jada Yearwood, and Janelle Williams

Sports award recipients kite boarder Tiger Tyson and fencer Tamesha Thomas

Respect was given to those who support the youth with corporate awards to:

Photogenesis Imaging Solutions (also, by the way, a past Wadadli Pen patron) &

Supreme Tech and Supplies

And then there are some other awards with less clear meaning:

A special award to Casa Palmadita owner Lornette Sheppard. (p.s. the event was also held at Casa Palmadita in Fitches Creek)

A President’s award to Simran Multani

Congrats to all the winners. Each year I try to make nominations for literary arts, of course, as we’re usually invited to do but (also per usual) across different categories, and I’m happy to see a number of the names I submitted make the cut.

I’m not able to do the links as much a I’d like right now and I don’t have a press release or bios to share here but I did want to share the winners’ names at least and for anyone who’s connected to or have been covered by Wadadli Pen please feel free to use the search field for more information on the individual and/or their accomplishment.

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, Oh Gad!, Musical Youth, With Grace, and Lost! A Caribbean Sea Adventure). 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.

Barbados, Guyana, and Bermuda Finalists for 2018 Burt Award

The Burt Award for Caribbean teen/young adult fiction is sponsored by Canadian non-profit CODE and administered by Trinidad and Tobago’s Bocas Literary Festival. The winner will be announced at this year’s festival, scheduled for April 25th to 29th 2018. In the running are Shakirah M. Bourne of Barbados (below right), Imam Baksh of Guyana (below left), and Elizabeth J. Jones of Bermuda (below middle).

Here’s the announcement making the rounds:

CODE and NGC Bocas Lit Fest are thrilled to announce the finalists for the 5th annual CODE Burt Award for Caribbean Young Adult Literature. This year’s finalists were selected from over 30 submissions of both published books and unpublished manuscripts from around the Caribbean.

In alphabetical order by title, the 2018 finalists are:
•A Dark Iris by Elizabeth J. Jones (Bermuda)

Jury Summary: “A sophisticated ‘speculative fiction’ story that reveals the realities of adolescence; crushes, family problems, and school. The main character is real and relatable.

•My Fishy Stepmom by Shakirah Bourne (Barbados)

Jury Summary: “A delightful story that is charmingly funny. With a folktale antagonist, the shenanigans that result as the main character fights to preserve her bonds of family and friendship are heartwarming.”

•The Dark of the Sea by Imam Baksh (Guyana)

Jury Summary: “A compelling page turner, this fantastical adventure story follows the journey of a young man who is rebellious, unimpressed by education and religion, cynical about the future, and obsessed with girls. The humour is dark, the morality complicated, …and the victories bittersweet.”

The winner and two finalists will be announced on 25 April 2018 at the opening night celebration of the 2018 NGC Bocas Lit Fest in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Celebrating YA literature will continue throughout the NGC Bocas Lit Fest.

Since 2014 a dedicated network of local partners has distributed more than 37,000 award-winning books in eleven Caribbean countries. We look forward to seeing this year’s winning books published and distributed to youth throughout the Caribbean.

***

I would like to add my congratulations to the finalists. It’s no secret that this award is one that means a lot to me – since being a finalist in the inaugural year, 2014, I’ve had the opportunity to work with CODE as a workshop facilitator and a mentor to the Africa leg of the programme (which also has a Canada leg focused on the First nations community), and as a judge with Bocas. I like that the programme in Canada, the Caribbean, and Africa is opening up publishing opportunities for those underserved by the industry. As for the Caribbean leg, I like that it’s leading to the production of new, or increased promotion and distribution of, books that are culturally relevant and whether historical, modern, or futuristic engaging to the teen/young adult reader. Having grown up reading so many books from overseas, it’s nice to know that today’s Caribbean teen has more options. I also like that it not only gives Caribbean independent presses an opportunity but insists on publishing with Caribbean publishers, which can only be good for the industry in the region. The books are distributed throughout the region – and, of course, a savvy publisher will also work to build the overseas readership as well. So, because of the opportunities it offers to Caribbean writers, teen/young adult readers, and publishing industry, I hope this programme has the resources to keep going. I mean, look at the literature that has come out of it already:

All Over Again by A-dZiko Simba Gegele (1st place, 2014) – author from: Jamaica; published by Blue Moon Publishing of Jamaica.

“All Over Again is a hilarious and enchanting coming of age story as a young boy goes through the trials and joys and puberty, battles with his 6-year-old sister who is the bane of his existences, worries about disappointing his mother and understanding his father…”

The Art of White Roses by Viviana Prado-Nunez (1st place, 2017) – author from: Puerto Rico; published by Papillote Press of Dominica/UK.

“It is 1957, in a quiet Havana suburb. Adela Santiago is 13 and lives in a small blue house with her family. But something is amiss…”

The Beast of Kukuyo by Kevin Jared Hosein ( 2nd place, 2017) – author from: Trinidad and Tobago; published by Blue Banyan Books of Jamaica.

“You’re standing alongside Tiki and running next to Rune at the same time, looking for clues in the forest and admiring the beautiful Trinidadian landscape as you move through this adventurous tale…”

Children of the Spider by Imam Baksh (1st place, 2015) – author from: Guyana; published by Blue Moon Publishing of Jamaica.

“Mayali is a fugitive from her home world of Zolpash, which is ruled by the Spider gods and their armies, who now have plans to invade Earth—it’s up to Mayali to thwart them…”

Dancing in the Rain by Lynn Joseph (3rd place, 2015) – author from: Trinidad and Tobago; published by Blue Moon Publishing of Jamaica.

“Set against the dazzling beauty of the Dominican Republic, Dancing in the Rain explores the impact of the tragic fall of the Twin Towers on two Caribbean families…”

Dreams Beyond the Shore by Tamika Gibson (1st place, 2016) – author from: Trinidad and Tobago; published by: Blue Banyan Books of Jamaica.

“Seventeen-year-old Chelsea Marchand was pretty satisfied with her life. Until recently. Willing to play the dutiful daughter as her father’s bid to become Prime Minister of their island home brings her family into intense public scrutiny, Chelsea is swept along by the strong tidal wave of politics and becomes increasingly disturbed by her father’s duplicity…”

Girlcott by Florenz Webbe Maxwell (2nd place, 2016) – author from Bermuda; published by Blue Banyan Books of Jamaica.

“A week ago, Desma Johnson had only two things on her mind – in exactly eight days, she would be sixteen years old and to top it off she was inline for a top scholarship, bringing her one step closer to her dreams. Life was perfect and nothing would get in the way of her birthday plans. But it’s 1959 and the secret Progressive Group has just announced a boycott of all cinemas in Bermuda in order to end racial segregation…”

Gone to Drift by Diana McCaulay (2nd place, 2015)  – author from Jamaica; published by Papillote Press of Dominica/UK.

“The story of a 12-year-old Jamaican boy and his search for his beloved grandfather, a fisherman who is lost at sea…”

Home Home by Lisa Allen-Agostini (3rd place, 2017) – author from Trinidad and Tobago; published by Papillote Press of Dominica/UK.

“A coming-of-age tale with a twist: a clinically depressed Trinidadian teenager, who has attempted suicide, is banished by her mother to Canada to live with her aunt. She feels lonely and in exile. But…”

Inner City Girl by Colleen Smith-Dennis (3rd place, 2014) – author from Jamaica; published by LMH Publishing Company of Jamaica.

“Martina does the unthinkable: a poor girl from the inner city gains entry into one of the most prestigious high schools in the country. Milverton High, situated on a hill with its picturesque surroundings, students from the upper echelons of society and teachers who do not neccessarily understand, contrasts with the poverty, hunger and family problems which Martina encounters. But Martina is not about to succumb to ridicule, rejection, and poverty…”

Musical Youth by Joanne C. Hillhouse (2nd place, 2014) – author from Antigua and Barbuda; published by Caribbean Reads of St. Kitts-Nevis/USA.

“Zahara is a loner. She’s brilliant on the guitar but in everyday life she doesn’t really fit in. Then she meets Shaka, himself a musical genius and the first boy who really gets her. They discover that they share a special bond…”

The Protectors’ Pledge by Daniel V. C. Mclean (3rd place, 2016) – author from Trinidad and Tobago; published by Caribbean Reads of St. Kitt’s-Nevis/USA

“Twelve-year-old JV can’t wait to spend his vacation exploring the Oscuros Forest. True, everyone in the village of Alcavere believes the Oscuros Forest is a place to be feared, inhabited by dangerous and magical beings. But JV is not afraid, even when his first trip into the forest brings him face-to-face with a mysterious creature…”

And now there are three more books to look forward to.

Two finals thoughts. If you have a teen in your life, there’s got to be something on this list that appeals to them and if you’re a writer, embrace this opportunity to put your name and your country on this list, and potentially put your book in the hands of readers across the Caribbean and beyond.

As with all content (words, images, other) 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,  Oh Gad!, Musical Youth, With Grace, and Lost! A Caribbean Sea Adventure). All Rights Reserved. You can also subscribe to and/or follow the site to keep up with future updates. Thanks. And remember while linking and sharing the links, referencing and excerpting, with credit, are okay, lifting whole content (articles,  images, other) from the site without asking is not cool. Respect copyright.

“AND SHE SANG FIRE.” by Francis Yankey

Yankey, left, at the Wadadli Pen awards with other winners in his category. Photo courtesy Linisa George/Art. Culture. Antigua

Francis Yankey, a 16-year-old fifth form student at the Antigua Grammar School, says, “Writing my poems and a story for the Wadadli Pen were not easy, but worth it. I was inspired by a past Grammarian, who used to enter this competition & due to my love for reading and wanting to hone my writing skills. I am grateful for the Wadadli Pen for doing a wonderful initiative.”

Judges’ verdict: “Lovely and imaginative.”

In the 2017 Wadadli Pen Annual Writing Challenge, Yankey’s story tied for 3rd in the 13 to 17 age category.

***

“Isabette, Isabette, Isabette,” wanders the mind of Sonny Joe. Twenty years now, he still remembers her sweet musical sounds. Isabette, that black girl on fire.

When he was a young man, he would always walk down on the street in his village to Faroe’s Beach in the night.  In the village, there were no lamp posts neither street lights; however, he continued to walk in the darkness. As he entered the beach, he took off his clothes and hat. When his feet touched the cold waters from the sea, he breathed in the cool, misty breeze.

He jumped into the sea and swam in far distances for his relaxation. Suddenly, he heard someone singing, he was not alone. As he looks up, his mouth opened wide and the first word was Isabette, but that was not her true name. He saw her orange-red locks, her glowing red eyes and her lips glitter as gold. He also saw her elegant dress which was the same color of her locks. Isabette was the name of his mother who died when he was young. She was no ordinary black girl that he has ever seen before. His body was benumbed in the ocean, listening to the tunes and seeing fire blaste out from her mouth as she sang her heart out. She sang,”oh la la, tra la la. Love is so sweet, love is so merry, and love is so cherry.” Furthermore, he beheld geometric shapes in fire blasted from her mouth mid-air.

His eyes talked with her dazzling, red eyes. The only possible language between them was the language of love. The sad thing is that he didn’t bring his guitar to harmonize with her amazing voice. This happened in a few seconds where she disappears. The next night, he returned to the beach hoping to see her again. Then fire magically comes out of the sand and there she was. He couldn’t resist her charms and her unbelievable voice. While she sang so lustfully, he played his guitar with its sweet rhythm. They finished performing after midnight, and she vanished once again.

This strange incident continued to happen for the year. In all his mysterious nights with her, she didn’t seem to come from this planet. When he asked her questions pertaining to who she was, she just sang higher acting if she was deaf. Who was this black beautiful stranger?

When he returned as always to the Faroe’s Beach, he waited patiently for her arrival to meet him. As he waited, he remembered her melodic lyrics and the fire that would always come out of her mouth. Notwithstanding, she will never come back again to meet her lover, but he didn’t know. So he waited for a long time and she still has not arrived yet, therefore he sadly left.

Night after night, he came but without any luck. The only thing was fond memories of this stranger. He wanted to tell the village, but they would consider him a lunatic. So he kept it to himself as his treasured secret. Years passed by rapidly, yet he clearly remembered Isabette. His secret was the love between them and she would always be his black girl on fire.

-END-

Please respect the writer’s copyright. And while we welcome feedback, please be constructive.

With thanks to our patrons, see this writer’s total prize haul below (and remember, support the businesses/individuals who support the arts):

EC$75 (contributed by the International Women’s Club of Antigua and Barbuda)
Books – The Sisters and Manco’s Stories by Jan Carew + Cirque du Freak: Lord of the Shadows by Darren Shan (contributed by the Best of Books)
Certificate (sponsored by the Best of Books)

 

BRAVE ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD SAVED TWO MONTHS BABY by Shadiael Simmons

The author, an 11-year old student at Baptist Academy, says: “I love playing football and I am a part of the Villa Lions Football Club.”

Judges’ verdict: “This story has potential.”

In the 2017 Wadadli Pen Annual Writing Challenge, the judges ranked Simmons’ story 3rd in the 12 and Younger age category.

***

“Good Morning mommy!” I said in the kitchen of my home. For some reason, I started playing football; she turned and exclaimed sharply: “BWOI! how much time I have to tell yuh nuh play football in the kitchen, especially when me in yah a cook!”

I immediately stopped.

“Go bathe yuh ‘kin and get ready fu football and then come eat,” she instructed, going back to work on the fried dumplings.

Later that Saturday afternoon my mother told me that she was going to get her hair done. After she left, I played football at the front yard on the grass. Fifteen minutes into the game, while I was cheering myself on and sweating all over, I heard a cry.

I stopped and listened. I was about to continue when I heard it again, this time louder and more frightened. I ran to where the crying was coming from and ended up in my neighbour’s front yard. I ran into the house and saw the pot on fire with no way to out it.

“What can I do?”

I  ran to the baby’s room, quickly grabbed her up but by that time, the fire was eating away at the Living room. I looked and looked and looked for an escape. Then, I saw a window in the masters bedroom. I got a stool from the baby’s room and then I started to cough. I placed the stool at the bottom of the window and awkwardly lifted myself and the baby out the window, accidentally cutting my right shin against the window pane.

When I got out the house, ABS  and the Daily Observer questioned me. I didn’t Know how to answer those questions because I was so badly hurt and I was coughing non- stop. As the house exploded I heard a wailing scream coming from the baby’s mother, Yvonne, who was running towards the house. She saw me with the baby in my hands and came over, crying “OH GOD! OH GOD! OH GOD!”

She took baby girl from me and started crying all over again as she sobbed “Thank you!”
Two minutes later the ambulance arrived with the fire fighters and it was all loud and exciting from there, however I was still struggling to breathe.

When I woke up I was in the hospital. They said I had second degree burns on my hands, feet and face. The doctors placed me on oxygen because I had inhaled a lot of smoke. Baby girl’s parents visited me and thanked me again for what I had done. I was in the newspapers and on the television… I was to be the next national hero.

-END-

Please respect the writer’s copyright. And while we welcome feedback, please be constructive.

With thanks to our patrons, see this writer’s total prize haul below (and remember, support the businesses/individuals who support the arts):

EC$75 cash/gift certificate (contributed by Art. Culture. Antigua)
Books –  The Person Controller by David Baddiel w/illustrations by Jim Field, AniMalcolm by David Baddiel w/illustrations by Jim Field, Sword in the Stone by T H White, Spell like a Champion (contributed by Harper Collins)
Gifts (contributed by Juneth Webson)
With Grace by Joanne C. Hillhouse (contributed by Little Bell Caribbean)
Certificate (sponsored by the Best of Books)

NON FICTION? by Ava C. Ralph

Ava C. Ralph, 15 at the time of submission, now 16, is a student at the Antigua Girls High School, who says she wrote ‘Non Fiction?’ “to keep myself sane. Reason for writing this like this: I really don’t know.” On learning she’d been named to the long list, she emailed, “Not gonna lie I still cannot believe you actually read my poem. Thank you so much for everything. I am beyond excited.”

Judges’ verdict: “Depth with a subtle invitation to look deeper.”

In the 2017 Wadadli Pen Challenge, they ranked Ralph’s poem 2nd in the 13 to 17 age category.

***

How can I not write about non-fiction when this life is all I know
Truth be told I could write this poem a million times, and every time a piece of me will be lost
All that will happen is that
No otherworldly magic will occur
I’ll  simply mask the words giving myself a new form
‘Cause the poet in me is just a shape shifter, really
Somebody tell Papa Ben step to the side and  watch the real master mek moves
Let me hide myself behind metaphors, puns and tings
Let me be like my ancestors singing to cope with the pain, pouring my life into a bottle and then calling myself Brer Anansi because no one really cares for reality
Let me tie my struggles in banana leaves dried and died like my short lived dreams
Call me ducana although my friends would laugh and call me saltfish
Papa Ben I get it now
Let me stand by you
We can watch the forest together
Or at least here in Antigua we watch some coconut trees grow, struggle to live dehydrated, and then after years of life, lose theirs in a category three hurricane
This may seem blunt
This may even seem bitter
But I can’t help it
This is the story I’ve been forced to withstand
Written with a pen filled with life trembling in my hand

I cannot stress this anymore
I am only a measly shape shifter
Except this time only my shape has shifted
(My devices may be overlooked but then again I am too)
You said to keep this poem Caribbean so I’ll place my life on this page
Please ink my words  in red ’cause my blood is here and my ancestors’ too
Please ink my words in red just to make me seem more poetic
Please ink my words in red ’cause this is non-fiction

-END-

Please respect the writer’s copyright. And while we welcome feedback, please be constructive.

With thanks to our patrons, see this writer’s total prize haul below (and remember, support the businesses/individuals who support the arts):

EC$125 (contributed by the International Women’s Club of Antigua and Barbuda)
Books – Jeremiah, Devil of the Woods by Martina Altman, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling,  + Champions of the Gayelle by Alwyn Bully, Zeno Constance, and Pat Cumper (contributed by the Best of Books)
Certificate (sponsored by the Best of Books)

MR. DUPPY by Lucia Murray

About the author:   Lucia Murray is an 18 year old advanced level student at St. Anthony’s Secondary School, who enjoys writing. She is a visual artist who describes herself as being fond of the Arts and interested in expanding her knowledge in various subjects.

About the entry: All young Somaya wanted to do was to accompany her friends in retrieving a football from the backyard of her neighbour, Mr. Duppy. Rather than finding a football – however – Somaya is faced with gleaming, yellow eyes and her reflection in a minacious cutlass.

In the 2017 Wadadli Pen Annual Writing Challenge, the judges ranked Lucia’s story 2nd in the 18 to 35 age category.

***

“Run!” the shrill voice shouted. Rain pelted violently onto my face, as I raced for my life.

“Run, run, run!” the voice sounded out, even more panicked than before. My legs began to ache, but my pace quickened. Images of a sharpened cutlass, gleaming in the moonlight, and my own life flashed before my eyes. The mud from the poorly constructed trail flew onto my legs as my sore feet hit the ground. Tears sprung into my eyes, and I could not tell whether they were from the pain or the fear that I felt. Perhaps, it was both.

A scream erupted behind me – it had gotten to one of them, and it was growing closer.

“Oh Christ, oh Faddah help me,” I whimpered, my voice quivering. Tears began to blur my vision, and before I knew it, I could barely see the path. The rain continued to pour with vigour, and my legs began to weaken.

Crash! As if in resonance with the thunder, I slipped and tumbled down the slope near to the path – into the thicket below. When the tumbling ceased, I shrieked in pain – thorns, cuts, and bruises covering my body. I stayed on my back and faced the sky. The rain became gentler – it was almost healing.

When did everything go wrong?

“Somaya, move!” Brendaly exclaimed. Without another thought, I darted to the left – barely missing the ball that came hurtling in my direction.

“Watch wey yuh kicking de ball, nuh!” I shouted over to my group of friends that were playing a rather intense game of football. I reclaimed my seat on the steps in front of my back door, and gentle breeze blew, rustling the leaves of the tall, tamarind trees within my backyard. Sighing, I looked over at the yard of my neighbour, Mr. Duppy. As usual, it was lush, vibrant, and smelled of sweet, fresh fruit. However, it had always been difficult to peer into his yard –beyond the greenery. It was almost as if Mr. Duppy had created his own world within his back yard, and I could not blame him for doing so. After all, his ex-wife had taken pride in their beautiful yard. I looked toward the sky; grey clouds had begun to form.

“Marc!!! Yuh foot ben’ up see!” Isiah yelled, immediately catching my attention. Marc had kicked the ball into Mr. Duppy’s back yard, and as a result, a fight ensued.

After much quarrelling, it had been decided that Marc would climb over the fence to retrieve the football. However, ten minutes had passed, and worry began to set in. The once clear sky was, now, completely covered with dark, rain clouds.

We climbed the fence – the biggest mistake we would ever make.

Entering his yard felt like we had truly entered another world – perhaps we had. Wild plants grew all around us, and there were a few narrow trails that lead into different directions.

“Help!” Marc’s voiced called – it sounded strained. Quickly, we dashed in the direction of the sound, but when we finally discovered Marc, he was not alone. A dark, shadowy figure towered above us, yellow eyes glowing. It gripped a cutlass in its right hand, and a toothy grin slowly spread across its face.

Crunch. Crunch.

The sound of footsteps brought me out of my thoughts – I was still on the ground.

Crunch. Crunch.

It was right above me, now; I accepted my fate. I took one last look at its glowing eyes, darkened face, and menacing cutlass.

“Mr. Duppy?” I uttered, before he swung the cutlass down and everything went black.

-END-

Please respect the writer’s copyright. And while we welcome feedback, please be constructive.

With thanks to our patrons, see this writer’s total prize haul below (and remember, support the businesses/individuals who support the arts):

EC$200 (contributed by Juneth Webson)
Book – On Writing by Stephen King & spot in the Just Write Writers’ Retreat (contributed by Brenda Lee Browne)
Books – The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter (thriller) and Fire Child by S K Treymayne (contributed by Harper Collins)
Certificate (sponsored by the Best of Books)

Mailbox – National Youth Awards (Results!)

Congrats to Spilling Ink, first of all, for winning the literary prize. Spilling Ink, for those who don’t know, is an Antiguan and Barbudan arts collective that in just two years has two self-published books (Ashes: a Broken Inception and Ashes: the Continuum) and a live art project (the Ink Project) blending visual and performance art – among other performances to its credit. The collective is made up of past Wadadli Pen finalist Olsfred James, along with Gloreen Lake and Mikhail Simmonds. We wish them continued experimentation and success.

See the press release from the Department of Youth Affairs of Antigua and Barbuda for full details re all the winners.

On February 5th, 2017, the Department of Youth Affairs held it’s 2016 Antigua and Barbuda National Youth Awards at Casa Palmadita in Fitches Creek at 5:00 pm. The event was held to recognize a number of youth who performed exceptionally in a number of fields in Antigua and Barbuda. Corporate entities with a track record of contributions to the field of youth development were also recognized. In all, 24 awards were handed out with assistance from the Governor General of Antigua and Barbuda, His Excellency Sir Rodney Williams, as well as the Minister of Social Transformation and Human Resource Development, the Honourable Samantha Marshall. The crowd was also entertained by performances from Jamaal Gordon, Daina Barnes, and Heavenly Steps Extravaganza Dance School. The MC’s for the evening were Alajandra Robinson and Jessie Fyah, while the keynote speech was delivered by past youth awardee Michael Joseph.

The 2016 awardees included:

Education Award (Top National Assessment Student): Emmanuelle Chiddick

Education Award (Top CSEC Student): Akaani Simon

Education Award (Top CAPE Student): Terrikia Benjamin*
Young Sportswoman Award: Joella Lloyd

Young Sportsman Award: Khalique St. Jean
Young Media Practitioner: Donna-Marie McIntosh
Performing Arts and Culture Award: Ayana Dorsette

Performing Arts and Culture Award: Richard Charles
Young Farmer of the Year: Glenson Goodwin

Youth Literary Art Award: Spilling Ink
Tourism Management Award – Matara Murphy

Tourism Service Award – Kendra Beazer
Young Entrepreneur: Sonali Andrews

Community Service Award: Nolan Hue
Young Professional (Male): Ragi Burton

Young Professional (Female): Nneka Hull James
Barbuda’s Youth Award: Sirriyah Bailey
The Minster’s Award: Regis Burton

The Corporate Awards:

Epicurean Fine Foods

Antigua Yacht Club and Marina Resort

Hadeed Motors

Scotia Bank

The Department of Youth Affairs Special Awards:

The Source Clothing Company*

Troy Watkins (Sugar Apple Catering)

 

*Terrikia Benjamin is also a past Wadadli Pen finalist & the Source is one of our past patrons.

Congrats to all the winners.

Jamaica, Antigua, Jamaica Named Burt Award Inaugural Top Three

Bocas Photo of finalists at Burt award panel by Marlon James.

The first winners of a unique literary award that will provide thousands of youth across the Caribbean region with access to exciting new titles were announced on April 25, 2014. The inaugural gala for CODE’s Burt Award for Caribbean Literature, recognizing outstanding literary works for young adults written by Caribbean authors, was held in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, as part of the NGC Bocas Lit Fest. A-dZiko Gegele received the first prize of $10,000 CAD for All Over Again (published by Blouse and Skirts Books), Joanne Hillhouse, from Antigua and Barbuda, won the second prize of $7,000 CAD for her soon to be published manuscript Musical Youth, while the third prize of $5,000 CAD went to Colleen Smith-Dennis of Jamaica for Inner City Girl (published by LMH Publishing.) The finalists were selected by a jury administered by The Bocas Lit Fest and made up of writers, literacy experts and academics from the Caribbean and Canada. – See more at: http://arcthemagazine.com/arc/2014/04/burt-award-for-caribbean-literature-winners-announced/#sthash.Hqvi815F.dpuf

UPDATE! I am thrilled, thrilled I tell you, to be in the top three and here’s a link to our panel discussion at Bocas.

With sponsor of the Burt Award, William Burt – Photo source http://www.bocaslitfest.com/2014/jamaican-author-a-dziko-gegele-wins-the-inaugural-burt-award-for-caribbean-literature/

and look forward to seeing my book Musical Youth in print. Here are some related links:

Bocas Literary Festival

Bocas Festival Sessions

Caribbean Children’s Literature Diane Browne

CODE

Global Voices Online

House of the Arts

The Jamaica Gleaner

Susumba

Trinidad Express