It’s that time of year again, to look at the year’s best (well, up to this point).
Using site stats, I’ve once again been able to get a sense of what drew views, interaction (likes, comments), and action (shares) here on the site. Since our goal (with the blog – the online platform of the Wadadli Youth Pen Prize and a literary/artistic portal to Antigua and Barbuda and the wider Caribbean) is to engage with our reader, this is valuable information that can perhaps guide future blogging.
Given their popularity, you’ve probably seen some of these posts already but just in case you haven’t or want to revisit, here again 10 to 1 are the most popular posts of the past year – plus five of the least popular (i.e. posts you engaged with barely, if at all, that you might be disappointed that you missed)
MOST POPULAR (TOP 10)
#10 – Press Release: Wadadli Pen 2017 Launches
The 2017 Wadadli Pen challenge launch release – as issued to the media. Let’s people know, and we’re off…
#9 – Those who won’t hear will feel by Zion Ebony Williams
Every year one of our winning Wadadli Pen stories seems to catch fire; and this seemed to be Zion’s year. P.S. Zion went on to place third in the Grade Six National Assessment of 2017.
#8 – Calypso Battle
This had to do with threatened lawsuit (by Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister) and censoring (by the Carnival organizer who insisted on vetting the lyrics, and the radio stations who bowed to the threat of law suits) over a song (Nasty) by calypsonian Queen Ivena (an artist who in the tradition of calypsonians like Obstinate, Scorpion, and others has always held the feet of the country’s leaders to the fire and called their name); as a lit arts site, I felt it was important to record developments related to this as it speaks to key issues like freedom of speech, artistic freedom/expression, and the role of calypso in our society.
#7 – From the Mailbox – Concerning Barbuda
Guest post re literary project to aid Barbuda – despite the amount of eyes on this post and the number of shares, no (or very few) submissions were received (and the project was delayed) – a reminder that information doesn’t always lead to action…and that there’s always still time to help.
#6 – Wadadli Pen Challenge: Who Won in 2017
Another Wadadli Pen awards post – this one is always a highlight as the ‘who won what’ posts is usually the first after the awards. A good spotlight for both our winners and our patrons.
#5 – Wadadli Pen Challenge 2017 – the Picture Post
The picture post is usually one of the last post-Wadadli Pen awards posts as it takes a while for us to gather pictures from different sources; for obvious reasons, because it’s an opportunity to see the winners and for the winners to see themselves, it’s always popular. It’s also the point at which, looking at the pictures, I begin to feel genuine joy and relief that we made it through another year – perhaps the moment, looking at the pictures, that it becomes real to me.
#4 – Wadadli Pen Challenge 2017 – the Long List
The Wadadli Pen awards is at once one of the most stressful and fulfilling times of year for me. It’s a celebration of the winning authors of a challenge I started as an annual project back in 2004 and it’s amazing to me that it’s still around, against all odds, after all this time. This long list, started a few years ago, is usually the first hint eager submitters have of whether they made the cut or not; it helps to keep the momentum going while the work behind the scenes continues.
#3 – Nelson’s Dockyard: On Becoming a World Heritage Site
Sometimes I read things and think “more people should be aware of this!” Sometimes that thing ends up in the reading room and sometimes in a post of its own. These details of how and why Nelson’s Dockyard became a World Heritage Site ended up in the latter category. It got a boost I think by being re-shared on the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda’s social media; so thanks to them for that.
#2 – Mailbox – National Youth Awards (Results!)
This (essentially a re-post of a press release) was also one of the most shared and liked posts on my author facebook; I guess people really wanted to know who the winners were(?) Kudos to Spilling Ink, the lit art winners.
#1 – Wadadli Pen has its first Intern – Meet Michaela
This was our first year as Wadadli Pen with an intern. She was, at the time, a student at the Antigua State College which was the only institution that we reached out to during the application process. She, a former Wadadli Pen finalist, was gung ho from the get go as this introductory post indicates.
LEAST POPULAR – JUST FIVE
Building a Reading Culture in the Classroom – The title is self-explanatory; and it’s a reblog.
A & B Writer in New International Collection – Congrats to Tammi Browne-Bannister.
Reading Room and Gallery 26 – the latest (which probably explains why it doesn’t have a lot of views yet) in my series of good reading and art from around the web.
Keens, Arrindell and the Children of the Emerald Isle – another late year addition, this one from the Alliouagana lit fest in Montserrat.
Mailbox – Lit Culture – This was a share from children’s book author, Teacher Cray.
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!, With Grace, Lost! A Caribbean Sea Adventure, and Musical Youth). All Rights Reserved. Do not re-use content without permission and credit. 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.
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