Mrs. Verna Bryan, Mrs. Iona Hodge, Mrs. Olive Hodge, Ms. Carmencita Woods and Mr. Winston Harrigan will be recognised at the 2017 Malliouhana Poetry Awards Ceremony slated for Wednesday, 3rd May 2017 at Andy’s Restaurant in The Quarter. In this commemorative year of reflection on Anguilla’s journey since 1967, the five awardees will receive the Malliouhana Poetry 2017 Culture Bearers Award in recognition of their active role as reservoirs of oral history and their sharing of their memories of the Revolution across the generations.
Last year the Committee honoured poet and revolutionary heroine, Mrs. Daisy “Wong” Richardson, and paid tribute to the late Educator, Poet and Cultural Activist, Ms. Linda T. Lake in 2015.
Organised by the University of the West Indies Open Campus Anguilla, in collaboration with the Anguilla Library Service, the Department of Youth and Culture and the Anguilla Community College, the annual Malliouhana Poetry Competition seeks to encourage literacy and artistic expression, as well as to promote an ethos of social, cultural, and political awareness.
This year’s theme, “Malliouhana Our Rock … 50 Not Out!” …” is in recognition of the 50th Anniversary of the Anguilla Revolution and has attracted more than thirty-five (35) submissions for the “On the Page” and “Performance” categories. The winners will be announced at the Performance Round and Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, 3rd May. In addition to receiving plaques and other prizes, the winners from the junior and senior categories will have the opportunity to share their work at the upcoming Anguilla Literary Festival slated for 18th – 21st May 2017.
The ceremony is free and open to the public, and the Committee is inviting everyone to join in the celebration of the local Culture Bearers and the 2017 Malliouhana Poetry Awardees.