Jamaican A-dZiko Simba Gegele’s vibrant debut novel All Over Again (published by Blouse and Skirt Books) copped the inaugural Burt Award for Caribbean Literature, the latest award coming out to the Trinidad and Tobago Literary Festival, the Bocas Lit Fest. The award, celebrating young adult novels, was announced at a gala event on Friday, April 2014 at which President of Trinidad and Tobago His Excellency Anthony Carmona was the guest speaker.
Simba Gegele was among a shortlist of six writers from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda, and Dominica.
“A-dZiko Gegele is a sensational writer,” said Burt Award Chief Juror Mala Morton Gittens. “Her novel appeals to readers of all ages and all genders,” she continued, also describing the book as “linguistically exciting”.
The Burt Award is funded and orchestrated by CODE, a Canadian NGO dedicated to advancing literacy, in combination with philanthropist William ‘Bill’ Burt, after whom the award is named. CODE currently organizes prizes in Canada, Africa and the Caribbean.
“I realized that reading fiction helped me achieve what I have in life,” said Mr. Burt, a former commodities trader. “It’s my hope that this prize will help young people here in the Caribbean read more and read better,” he said.
HE Carmona lauded the supporters of the award and expressed great fondness for Jamaica, where he attended university at the UWI’s Mona Campus.
“So it is in fact a defining moment for me and I want all of you to give adulation to a great writer,” the President said.
Scott Walker, executive director of CODE, explained that The Burt Award is specifically designed to get books into the hands of readers and features a cash award for the writer as well as a guaranteed purchase of 2,500 copies of each winning book, to be distributed to schools and libraries across the region.
“We want them (the region’s children) to have so much choice it’s an embarrassment of riches,” Mr. Walker said.
The inaugural competition received a total of 38 manuscripts and published books. The other shortlisted entrants were Colleen Smith Dennis for Inner City Girl (Jamaica, LMH Publishing), Joanne Hillhouse (Antigua and Barbuda,) Musical Youth Diane Browne (Jamaica, Carlong Publishing) for Island Princess in Brooklyn, Joanne Skerrett (Dominica, Papillotte Press) for Abraham’s Treasure and Gynis Guevara (Trinidad and Tobago) for Barrel Girl.
Hillhouse received the second place prize ($7,000 CAD) while Smith Dennis received third place ($5,000 CAD). Simba Gegele received $10,000 CAD for first place.
The NGC Bocas Lit Fest 2014 took place at the National Library of Trinidad and Tobago, April 23 – 27, Port of Spain. Blouse and Skirt Books is an imprint of Blue Moon Publishing.
