Five from Caribbean in contention for...

From 20A

on women in the oil industry. A Different Energy : Women in Caribbean oil and gas had a launching last month in the Guyana Prize Literary Festival in Georgetown in a session when she was interviewed by Guyanese journalist Jasmaine Payne.

She completed an MFA in Creative Writing and went on to be very prominent in literary circles. She is among the foremost writers nominated for the Commonwealth Prize and has won previous awards for her short stories other than the Bocas. Her accomplishments include the CLMP Firecracker Award for Fiction and a prize nomination in the UK. It is, however, the first time she has been nominated for this Commonwealth award

Mohammed also served as a member of the Jury for Fiction in the Guyana Prize for Literature and, along with fiction writer and academic Prof Funso Aiyejina, conducted a master class in fiction writing at that literary festival. (Aiyejina was also a winner of the Commonwealth Writers Prize Africa Region at the time when it was for published fiction).

According to Ruth Killick of the Commonwealth Foundation 23 stories have been shortlisted from 13 countries and demonstrate an interesting range of preoccupations, subjects, experiences, themes and styles of writing. The Judges’ citation tells of ‘a dream list’ which will leave readers ‘startled and shocked, heartbroken and humbled in equal measure’.

Guyanese writers have had some success in this contest as the achievement of Kevin Garbaran comes to mind. Attention will now turn to the announcement of the Caribbean winner on May 29, and the winner over all 5 Regions on June 26.

Meanwhile, the annual NGL Bocas Literary Festival (Lit Fest) takes place in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad this week-end, April 25 – 28, at the Old Fire Station and the national library with multiple events, workshops, readings, discussions, performances, the Republic Bank National Poetry Slam and the presentation of the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature Award.