Barbadian writer Brian Franklin emerged as the top awardee at the 28th Frank Collymore Literary Endowment (FCLE) Competition, taking home $10,000 for his fiction entry, Steal the Fish from the Devil’s Cou-Cou. The work also earned him the Prime Minister’s Award, given to the entry judged to best reflect Barbados and its culture in a way that encourages reflection and fresh insight.
Second place went to retired university lecturer Professor Jane Bryce, who won $7,500 for her fiction prose How to Find Your Way in the Air, while Akim Goddard claimed third place and $5,000 for Is Only We Know: Where the Cane Grows Wild.
Two other finalists, Randicia Kellman (In the Company of Women) and Kemar Doughty (The Hanging Tree – A Short Story Collection), received developmental scholarships valued at $4,000 each. These scholarships will allow them to further refine their craft under the guidance of experienced editors.
In the spoken word category, judged live during the ceremony, Cyndi Celeste took first prize of $5,000, with Mark Yearwood and Lafonn Miller placing second and third, earning $2,500 and $1,500, respectively.
During his opening remarks, Deputy Governor Elson Gaskin emphasized the importance of Barbadian literature to national identity:
“Each literary work produced by a Barbadian adds another thread to our cultural fabric. Together, these works form a living archive of who we are: our humour and heartbreak, our contradictions and convictions and our capacity for beauty even in the face of adversity. Literature allows us to preserve these truths and pass them forward, ensuring that future generations inherit lived experiences and not just history books.”
The FCLE competition was established by the Central Bank in 1997 and introduced the spoken word category three years ago. The endowment is part of the Bank’s ongoing commitment to supporting arts and culture in Barbados, including sponsorship of the Crop Over Visual Arts Exhibition and the broader Crop Over Festival.
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