Budding local writers received further details on how to enter the Turks and Caicos Islands Writers Society’s ‘Best Story’ writing competition, which is currently open.
Davanya Deveaux, Youth Executive Member of the entity outlined the process Tuesday, on the FLOW In the Morning’s Tuesday edition ‘She Will Lead’, with host Sheba Wilson.
Deveaux, a published author, who released a poetry book entitled “Encrypted”, said the Society was thrilled at staging the event.
“Anyone that can write is eligible to enter the competition. It is not just targeted to people of school-age, it is not just targeted to the older people. The competition is targeted to anyone with an interest in writing,” Deveaux said.
She said there are four age categories that one can enter: Primary School Age; Middle School Age; High School Age; and Adults.
“So, anyone that fits those descriptions can enter the competition,” she said, adding that no genre is off-limits.
“Broadly speaking, we are looking for all types of writing. “We want fun, exciting, creative, unique, enthusiastic stories. It could be a biography, it could be completely fiction…anything that you think is worth reading.”
There will be first to third place winners in each category. The deadline for submission is November 12. The winners will be announced on November 26, at the book festival at Graceway Gourmet in Grace Bay, Providenciales.
She said a soft and hard copy should be submitted. Soft copies can be submitted to: info@tciwritersssociety.org. printed copies can be handed to any of the executive members.
“If you are, however, hindered or not able to send it by email or if you are not able to print it off, we are open to working with you. Contact us and let us know, because we really want to get your stories in,” she explained.
Responding to why she got into writing, Deveaux stated: “I am passionate about writing, about words, what words are, what they do to us personally, what they can do, what they mean and what they can mean. For me personally, I started using words as a form of self-expression from back in high school.
“And now, I am able to be here and representing the Writers Society, being part of the executive board.”
She said the Turks and Caicos Islands Writers Society is geared to cultivate an atmosphere where those who want to write have an outlet to promote their work or get further development at their craft.
She said the purpose of the competition is to serve as a vehicle for the society to carry out its mandate, by touching the country at large with a view to giving interested persons the opportunity to share their story, while bettering and improving themselves in the field of authorship.
She said also that the Best Story competition was not designed to be a one-hit-wonder, but an annual affair.
“We want to have something that is ongoing. Something that we can see the improvement and the growth,” she said.
She added: “Our mission is to promote self-expression and expression in general…to promote that sort of creativity, promote writing as a gift, a talent and a tool as well, to carry out certain messages, whether it is a personal message, a story – something that you have witnessed – or more specifically and dearer to our heart…our culture.
“The Writers Society do feel that culture is important. We feel that writing is an essential tool and vehicle through which writing can be preserved, appreciated, and passed on. So, we are culturally based and culturally influenced as a society.”
The president of the Turks and Caicos Islands Writers Society is Dr. Barbara Ambrister. Her deputy is Cynclair Musgrove. Other members are bestselling author Drexwell Seymour, Kordell Forbes, Deveaux, Rachel Gregory, Rachell Harvey and Claudette Clare.
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