Links, links, links

- Geoffrey Philp was named "Outstanding Writer" in Jamaica's 2008 National Creative Writing Competition. He also picked up gold and silver medals for a poem and a short story, respectively. Congratulations, Geoffrey!

- The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award has announced its terribly long 2009 longlist. Four Caribbean-related books made the list: The Pirate's Daughter, by Jamaican Margaret Cezair-Thompson; Soucouyant, by Trinidad-born Canadian David Chariandy; The Hangman's Game (already a Commonwealth Writers' Prize winner), by Guyana-born Nigerian Karen King-Aribsala; and--surprise, surprise!--The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Dominican-American Junot Díaz.

- Tobias Buckell posts a round-up of recent reviews of his books, plus a photo of a daredevil fan reading Sly Mongoose in what you might call a rather precarious position.

- Another review of Patrick French's The World Is What It Is, by Thomas Meaney in the L.A. Times. "Part tragedy, part comedy, part murder confession...."

- And in a letter to today's Stabroek News, Shaun Michael Samaroo suggests that "literature should be the bedrock of a society," and makes this hopeful suggestion:

No society should allow anyone who did not receive a sound education in literature to qualify as a politician, a scientist, a teacher, a businessperson, an administrator, or to hold any position of responsibility. Because how else can such a person create an original solution without the literary foundation of our civilization?

(I'm sure Samaroo would approve of Barack Obama's current reading.)

- Finally, because press freedom is very important to the CRB (we don't want anyone telling us which books we can or cannot review!), a link to Janine Mendes-Franco's excellent Global Voices summary of Trinidad and Tobago's current media imbroglio--Prime Minister Patrick Manning's personal "raid" on a radio station to complain about on-air criticism.