"The Winner Is...": a conversation about the value of literary awards

Presented by the Caribbean Review of Books and the Commonwealth Writers' Prize

From internationally famous awards like the Nobel Prize, the Man Booker, or the Pulitzer to obscure local writing competitions, prizes for books and writers play a crucial role in the literary economy. Judges' decisions, whether or not we agree with them, influence the books that get published, sway the choices of ordinary readers, and determine whether writers can make a living from their work.

There are very few significant literary awards in the Caribbean. But over the last two decades, many Caribbean fiction writers have won--and enjoyed publicity from--the Commonwealth Writers' Prize. This event brings together three present or former judges of the CWP to discuss their personal experiences of and insights into the judging process, and the benefits--and dangers--of this and other literary awards.

Michael Bucknor, chair of the regional judging panel for the 2009 CWP, will be joined by Kenneth Ramchand (judge in 1988) and Judy Raymond (judge in 2001), for a conversation moderated by CRB editor Nicholas Laughlin.

Wednesday 5 November, 2008, 7.00 pm, at the National Library in Port of Spain.

All are invited. For further information, email crb [AT] meppublishers [DOT] com.

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Michael Bucknor is lecturer in literatures in English at the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies.

Kenneth Ramchand is associate provost of the University of Trinidad and Tobago, and head of UTT's Academy for Arts, Letters, Culture, and Public Affairs.

Judy Raymond is a journalist and editor of Caribbean Beat.