News

Jamaican sports analyst and author Hubert Lawrence who passed away February 23, 2024
In Memoriam: Hubert Lawrence (1960-2024)

 

ARTSETC NOTES with sadness the passing of Jamaican journalist, sportscaster and author Hubert Lawrence.

A popular and respected figure in the sporting world in Jamaica and regionally, Hubert died suddenly on Friday, February 23, aged 63. His passing sparked much outpouring of shock, disbelief and sorrow on social media among those who knew or worked with him.

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Photograph by Robert Edison Sandiford, January 2024, IndyList 2024.
The 2024 IndyList

 

THE INDYLIST is coming bigger than ever this year.

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— Sonia Suzette Williams, literary and theatre artist and educator (Jan 17, 1967 - Jan 6, 2024); Green Readings, Barbados, June 2013
In Memoriam: Sonia Suzette Williams

“Everything that happens in the universe has an impact on who I am, how I live, and what I write: thought, word, deed. Everything I think, I write, I speak has an impact on the world; like the tide of the sea beats upon the shore, shaping the space.” — Sonia Suzette Williams, literary and theatre artist and educator (January 17, 1967-January 6, 2024); Green Readings, Barbados, June 2013

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Peter Laurie, the author of The House that Disappeared, first-place winner of the 2022 Frank Collymore Literary Award.
Peter Laurie 2022 Frank Collymore Literary Award Winner

2022 Frank Collymore Literary Award winner Peter Laurie. Photo Copyright © 2023 by Peter Laurie.


Adapted from centralbank.org.bb. Peter Laurie Took Home the $10,000 First Prize at the 25th FCLE Awards

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A Review of What a Mother's Love Don't Teach You

IN HER DEBUT NOVEL, What a Mother’s Love Don’t Teach You (Virago, 2022), Jamaican author Sharma Taylor explores life in the poverty-stricken area of Lazarus Gardens, going beyond the poverty and violence to reveal characters with dreams, aspirations and disappointments that speak to their humanity in the midst of chaos, corruption and danger.

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Karen Elaine Austin (1963-2023) of Days Books, Barbados
KAREN AUSTIN: IN MEMORIAM

ArtsEtc notes with sadness the passing of Karen Elaine Austin, former managing director of Days Books. 

Karen, who was born in Manchester, England to Barbadian parents, died in June, aged 60, after a prolonged battle with cancer. 

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Illustration by Shakeel Clarke of Brian Franklin's "If You Plant Me," January 2023.
The 2023 IndyList

 

WELCOME to the 2023 ArtsEtc Independence Reading List.  This is the twelfth edition (already!) of our annual list of Barbadian literature to acquaint yourself with over the next twelve months.   

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A Review of Shabine and Other Stories

HAZEL SIMMONS-MCDONALD is a Saint Lucian who has lived and worked in Barbados for over thirty years. She is Professor Emerita of Applied Linguistics at the University of the West Indies and has published textbooks on language learning as well as several articles on educational issues in Creole and Creole-influenced vernacular contexts.  Although in retirement, she continues to do research in this field and also devotes time to creative writing.  

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In Golden Square: A Photo Essay

Barbadian poet and performer Winston Farrell has been hosting poetry pop-ups in Golden Square, Bridgetown, throughout 2022. Linda M. Deane, who took part in February, offers this alternate take on the popular literary event. Photos by S. Devonish. (Click the photos and scroll using the arrows.)

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Ronald A. Williams, the author of The Fall of Autumn Leaves, top winner of the 2021 Frank Collymore Literary Award.
Ronald A. Williams 2021 Frank Collymore Literary Award Winner

2021 Frank Collymore Literary Award winner Ronald A. Williams.  Photo Copyright © 2022 by Ronald A. Williams.
 
 
Reprinted from centralbank.org.bb. Ronald Williams is the Top Entrant in the 24th Frank Collymore Literary Endowment Competition > Central Bank of Barbados > News
 
RONALD A. WILLIAMS emerged as the top entrant in the 24th Frank Collymore Literary Endowment (FCLE) Competition. This was announced during a scaled-down in-person awards ceremony at Frank Collymore Hall.

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