The Saroyan Prize was last awarded in 2010. The Stanford University Libraries and the William Saroyan Foundation jointly award the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing, a competition for newly-published books. The prize commemorates the life, legacy and intentions of William Saroyan – author, artist, dramatist, composer – and is intended to encourage new or emerging writers, rather than to recognize established literary figures.The awards are intended to encourage new or emerging writers and honor the Saroyan literary legacy of originality, vitality and stylistic innovation. The Saroyan Prize recognizes newly published works of both fiction and non-fiction. A prize of $5,000 will be awarded in each category. Winners will be announced this summer.

Writers from around the world have been shortlisted for each prize in anticipation of becoming a regional winner (Africa, Asia, Canada and Europe, Caribbean, and the Pacific) on May 22, and ultimately competing for overall winner which will be announced at the Hay Festival on June 8, 2012.

Included among the nominees for the 2012 Commonwealth Book is Alecia McKenzie’s Sweetheart. Included among the nominees for the 2012 Commonwealth Short Story prize are Hazel Campbell’s Devil Star and Diana McCaulay’s The Dolphin Catcher.

Commonwealth Writers is a new cultural programme within the Commonwealth Foundation which develops, connects and inspires writers. By awarding prizes and running on-the-ground activities, it works in partnership with international literary organisations, the wider cultural industries and civil society to help writers develop their craft in the fifty four countries of the Commonwealth.

A children’s author and literary blogger, Brown has worked with Heinemann Caribbean, the Ministry of Education in Jamaica and on International educational projects. Her work has been published in Jamaica, the UK and the USA.  She has won awards in Jamaican literary competitions and been recognized with a Musgrave Medal from the Institute of Jamaica. Her stories celebrate children’s  potential to be the heroes and heroines of their own lives.

Commenting on her win on her blog, Brown said, “My reaction has caught me unawares. I admit that I am delighted and overwhelmed at getting this award, and overwhelmed at the number of persons who have congratulated me and their congratulations have been truly sincere and lovely. I’m pleased that people are happy for me. And I am giving thanks.”

She said she was honoured to receive the prize, adding that she hopes it will be a catalyst for increased interest and support for the genre, and provide children with greater access to local and Caribbean children’s books.

Les hommes illustres de la Jamaïque provides portraits of 11 of the most influential Jamaicans of all time – Thomas Gage, Marcus Garvey, Claudius Henry, Lewis Hutchinson, Vivian Jackson, Bob Marley, Vincent Martin, Henry Morgan, Edward Seaga, Tacky and Trevor Wilson.

Jamaica Insula – Histoire Des Premieres Cartes is a historical account of Jamaica that is based on amazing old maps and text, and illustrated with engravings.

Ehrengardt is also responsible for the French translation of Laurie Gunst’s controversial hit book, “Born Fi Dead” – Born Fi’ Dead : Sur la piste des gangs jamaïcains, de Kingston à New York.

• Pembroke High School
• St. Andrew Technical High School
• St. Joseph’s High School
• Khemlani Mary stores

You may also contact them at (876) 905-0834 (Simone Johnson), or at the Facebook link above.

• Karen Hutchinson – Best Overall Writer
• Diana McCaulay – Outstanding Writer
• Ditta Sylvester – Special Writer
• Twanda Rolle – Choice Writer
• Pearson Clark – Noteworthy Writer
• Twanda Rolle – Best Junior Poet
• Sabrena McDonald – Best Intermediate Poet and Best Playwright
• Pearson Clarke and Seon K Lewis – Best Adult Poet
• Helen Williams – Best Junior Short Story Writer
• Ann Margaret Lim – Best Intermediate Short Story Writer
• Jean L Goulbourne – Best Adult Short Story Writer
• Diana McCaulay – Best Novelist

The winning works will be showcased at parish libraries across the island in the 2010 National Creative Writing exhibition. This exhibition kicked off today at the National Library in Kingston.

The Dayton Literary Peace Prize was founded in 2006 as an outgrowth of the Dayton Peace Prize, which commemorates the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords ending the war in Bosnia. It celebrates the power of literature to promote peace and global understanding.

“The Book of Night Women” is available online @Amazon.

The citation read at the awards presentation ceremony in Barbados, noted the book’s “wonderfully lucid presentation” and “pan-Caribbean appeal as it situates contemporary Haiti historically and crosses cultural, language and national borders to show a certain unity to the Caribbean“.

Smith’s book has been hailed as “the first comprehensive political history of post-occupation Haiti“. In it, he traces developments in Haiti between 1934 and 1957, the end of United States occupation and the rise of Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier, which he described as “the greatest moment of political promise … the political experience of radicalism in Haiti from 1934-1957, with its expansion of historical struggles and tensions, foreshadowed developments elsewhere in the Caribbean and may therefore be regarded as an important chapter in the history of Caribbean resistance“.

The Gordon K and Sybil Lewis Award is named for the late distinguished historian, Gordon Lewis and his wife. In order to be considered for the award, nominated books should reflect “a subject or aspect of Caribbean life, conditions and situations from an interdisciplinary perspective“, should have regional impact and must be written in any of four major languages of the Caribbean – English, Dutch, French or Spanish. Books are judged on originality, depth, and breadth of research, advance of methodology or theory and the extent to which a pan-Caribbean problem or issue is addressed.

You may purchase Red and Black in Haiti: Radicalism, Conflict, and Political Change, 1934-1957 online @Amazon.

After viewing exercise books with foreign secular artistes on the covers in a local book store, it struck Altano Morgan that local gospel personalities would make excellent role models for Jamaicans, and that their pictures could accompany positive words of inspiration.

Thus, Morgan met with  members of the gospel music fraternity – including Prodigal Son, DJ Nicholas, Jason Mighty, Goddy Goddy, Ryan Mark, Kevin Downswell, Teena Tamara and Nadine Blair – and they agreed to be featured on the new brand of exercise books that he planned to produce. Thus, the I Can! brand of exercise books, notepads and other writing material, featuring well known gospel artistes and personalities, was born.

The brand was launched recently in Kingston, and Morgan noted that the faces of the gospel artistes on the books is simply a puller to bring the message which they would like to deliver to young people today. At the footer of each page of the books, are messages such as “this subject is not hard because my potential is greater. If I study hard and apply the knowledge well, great success will be my reward. Yes, I (space left for child’s name) can!” Patois (Jamaican language) is also used for some of the messages, for example with “mi nah give up” being used instead of “I will not give up”.

Kudos to Altano and Tamara Morgan for their effort to use purely indigenous means to try to inspire and motivate Jamaican children.

- Elements derived from an article that was originally featured in the Jamaica Observer newspaper