CODE Burt Award finalists

THE three finalists for this year’s CODE Burt Award for Caribbean Young Adult Literature were announced on March 27.

Elizabeth J Jones (Bermuda), Shakirah Bourne (Barbados) and Imam Baksh (Guyana) are this year’s finalists.

The three were selected from over 30 submissions of published books and unpublished manuscripts from around the Caribbean. Jones’ A Dark Iris was described by the jury summary as “a sophisticated ‘speculative fiction’ story that reveals the realities of adolescence, crushes, family problems, and school. The main character is real and relatable.” The novel tells the story of “The Rebekah Eve, a child during the 1970s when British Governor, Sir Richard Sharples, and his ADC, Hugh Sayers, were assassinated, with the help of the Black Berets. Troubled by her parents’ separation and the challenges of high school, Rebekah has to confront the realities of racial discrimination and injustice still true in her own century,” an extract from the Literary Consultant says.

The jury summary of Bourne’s My Fishy Stepmom says it’s, “a delightful story that is charmingly funny. With a folk-tale antagonist, the shenanigans that result as the main character fights to preserve her bonds of family and friendship are heartwarming.” And Baksh’s The Dark of the Sea was described the jury summary as “a compelling page turner, this fantastical adventure story follows the journey of a young man who is rebellious, unimpressed by education and religion, cynical about the future, and obsessed with girls. The humour is dark, the morality complicated, …and the victories bittersweet.”

The winner is expected to be announced on April 25 at the opening-night celebration of the NGC Bocas Lit Fest. Although this year there were no TT finalists, last year two TT writers were finalists (Lisa Allen-Agostini and Kevin Jared Hosein). Puerto Rican author Viviana Prado-Nunez’ The Art of White Roses is last year’s winner.

The C ODE Burt Award for Caribbean Young Adult Literature is now in its fifth year. CODE’s mission has been to expand literacy in Africa, Canada and the Caribbean “by supporting the professional development of teachers and librarians, by providing children and youth with access to high-quality reading materials, and helping to strengthen the local book trade and national publishing capacities.” CODE, a Canadian-based international development organisation, has worked along with local organisations in its different regions for 55 years to develop literacy. Its website says, “Code’s Burt Award is a literary award and readership initiative that recognises excellence in locally-authored literature for young adults, ages 12-18. The objective of the prize is to champion literacy, build language skills, and foster the love and habit of reading by ensuring that young people have access to high-quality, culturally relevant, and engaging reading materials.

“In 2008, Code established Burt Award for African Young Adult Literature with the generous support of Canadian philanthropist William (Bill) Burt and the Literary Prizes Foundation. First established in Tanzania, the programme has since expanded to Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Canada, and the Caribbean.”

The NGC Bocas Lit Fest runs from April 25 to 29.