You asked and CaribLit delivered! By special request, CaribLit will be launching an online book club this September. Each month, we’ll read a Caribbean book, share the author’s insight on the writing and publishing process and discuss the book on social media. We kick off with Ezekel Alan’s Disposable People, winner of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. 

Look out for the CaribLit interview with Ezekel Alan, which will be posted on September 1. As you read the book, share your thoughts on Facebook and Twitter and join us for an author chat the last week in September. 

To suggest a book, email books@cariblit.org.

St. George’s University, Grenada, has established a writer-in-residence programme intended to support a Caribbean writer in completing a work-in-progress, and to expose both the SGU academic community, and the Grenadian community to the contemporary Caribbean literary scene. The programme will run for the first time in 2014, from January 26 - May 10.
 
As part of the programme, the writer-in-residence will be required to provide six weeks* of the following service to St. George’s University:

•  Give two readings at SGU, local schools, libraries, writers' organizations, and other institutions. [They may read from their work in progress, and field questions on the writing process, inspiration behind the work, etc.] These readings will be recorded for the SGU radio station and for GIS.
• Offer workshops in creative writing at SGU, secondary schools and TAMCC.
• Keep office hours two half-days a week for consultation with members of the SGU and Grenadian community. Such consultations with aspiring and established writers, while they detail ways in which submitted writing may be improved, may also include advice on getting it published.
  

  
*The six weeks may be broken up into two three-weeks blocks, with approval of the SGU Writer-in Residence Programme Coordinator.
 
Accommodation, Meals and Travel
The writer-in-residence will be housed at the University Club and meals there will be provided at the expense of SGU. The writer will be responsible for all other expenses including travel to and from Grenada and within.  No stipend will be provided.
 
Eligibility
 To be eligible to apply for this residency, a writer must:

• be of Caribbean birth or citizenship, regardless of place of current residence,
  
• be writing in English;
  
• be over the age of 18 on the application deadline;
  
• have a track record of publishing literary writing in any genre in either books, journals, or magazines, or, in the case of playwrights, a track record of having dramatic works produced or staged for public audience.
  

 NB: this residency is open both to emerging and established writers.
 
Application guidelines
 To apply for the 2014 SGU writer’s residency, please submit:

•  a completed entry form;
  
• an excerpt from a current work in progress which the residency would allow the writer to advance. This should be between 3,500 and 5,000 words in length;
  
• a synopsis of the work in progress .  This should be no longer than 300 words;
  
• a brief statement (no longer than 150 words) explaining how the writer feels the residency will benefit the work in progress and how s/he can contribute to the SGU community
  
• a CV detailing the writer’s publication history if any (including pieces in magazines or online), and experience leading or participating in other residencies and writing workshops or classes.
  

 
All submissions should be typed and double-spaced and must be sent by email. Please send all materials related to submission as attachments to a single email addressed to wir@cariblit.org.
 
Deadline for applications: November 13, 2013.
 
Submissions will be reviewed by a panel of literary professionals and writers. Short-listed candidates will be interviewed online.
 
The successful applicant will be informed by December 20, 2013.

CODE and the Bocas Lit Fest recently launched the inaugural Burt Award for Caribbean Literature. The Award is now open for applications. We are pleased to let you know that, as a result of some concerns raised by publishers and authors, we have made some significant changes to the guidelines that will allow more publishers and authors to submit works.

The revisions to the guidelines include the following:

• In addition to published books and unpublished manuscripts, previously self-published books are now eligible for the Award. 
  
• Eligible books and manuscripts can now be submitted by publishers registered and operating in the Caribbean OR submitted by authors directly.
  
• Books published between 1 October 2009 and 24 October 2013 are now eligible.
  
• The deadline to submit a book or manuscript is now 25 October 2013.
  

 To consult the full revised guidelines and access the entry forms, please visit: http://www.bocaslitfest.com/burt-award-for-caribbean-literature/

We hope that these revisions will allow more great works of Young Adult literature by Caribbean authors to be submitted to the Award so that more young people in the Caribbean will gain access to books they will love to read.

Should you have any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Catherine Belshaw  at cbelshaw@codecan.org or 1-800-661-2633 ext. 233.

Read the original announcement.
 

We have a winner! Congratulations to Alliesha Andrews of Trinidad and Tobago who won our contest to name the new Caribbean publishing imprint.