The aim of the Central Bank in establishing the award is twofold. The Frank Collymore Literary Endowment was established by the Central Bank of Barbados to accomplish a twofold aim. It is,

first, to honour the memory of Frank Appleton Collymore (1893-1980), a cornerstone of Barbados’ literary heritage; and, second, to promote his legacy by recognising, supporting and rewarding today's literary talent.

This Providing support for writers was a role that Frank Collymore performed in his own time single-handedly, driven only by his love of the arts, and his belief in the literary potential of the region at a time when literature still meant the English classics. It is a measure of his inspiring example that no less an institution than the Central Bank of Barbados should choose to put its weight behind the project he began over half a century ago. Both the Literary Endowment and the Frank Collymore Hall, as a venue for distinguished distinguished public speakers and cultural events, testify to the importance that the Bank attaches to Collymore's legacy and to the arts in general.

The Influence

Collymore's influence was felt in many fields. As a longstanding teacher at Combermere School, he is remembered by generations of schoolboys for his warmth and wisdom. He made his mark, too, as an amateur actor and painter, and his poetry and short stories are still being are still being anthologised. One work in particular marks his devotion to Barbadian culture: Notes for a Glossary of Words and Phrases of Barbadian Dialect, again compiled at a time when dialect was not regarded as compatible with ‘serious' literature.

It was, however, through Bim, the literary magazine he took over and edited from 1942 to 1972 that Collymore really made his mark. At a time when there were few publishing outlets for West Indian writers, the small regional literary magazines (apart from Bim, there was Kyk-oOver-aAl in Guyana, and Focus in Jamaica) played an important role in disseminating their work. Collymore also maintained a warm and mutually admiring correspondence with Henry Swanzy of the BBC's Caribbean Voices from 1948 to 1956, and, through this relationship, numerous writers from the region were afforded the opportunity to broadcast their work to a wider audience. Names such as George Lamming, Austin Clarke, Sam Selvon, Edgar Mittelhozer, Shake Keane and Kamau Brathwaite gained their first exposure through the efforts of Frank Collymore.

One story in particular exemplifies both Collymore's unerring eye for talent, and his influence on a groundbreaking generation of writers. In 1949, he wrote to Swanzy about a young St Lucian poet, then nineteen, who had recently come to his attention, and of whom he said: ‘I think I have made an important discovery...his work is obviously sincere and wonderfully mature... I do not know when I have read anything so exciting.'. That same year, he published an article in Bim, ‘Introduction to the Poetry of Derek Walcott', in which he effectively launched the career of the man who is now the world famous Nobel Laureate.

Frank Collymore was in every way a mentor to the literary generation now celebrated as the first major flowering of West Indian literature in English. Their stature today is partly due to his professional dedication. But on a personal level, Collymore was a modest and self-effacing man, loved as much for his humour and endless fund of stories, as and revered for his commitment to education and literature. The Central Bank is proud to continue the tradition, set by him, of creating an environment in which young writers may thrive, and new writing be read.

The Frank Collymore Literary Endowment has been established to assist in promoteing the literary arts in Barbados in various different ways. A Committee exists to identify what contribution the Endowment can most usefully make to the literary life of the island, to administer the annual Literary Award and to read and judge the entries. The Committee consists of individuals in fields ranging from education to entertainment to journalism, and including practising writers and literary critics. They have been selected on the basis of their commitment to the ideals set by Collymore, but also for their ability to look forward and to respond to a changing social climate. The Committee recognises that writing is one of the most important ways in which a people represents itself, to itself and to the world at large. In time, the writing being produced now may come to be seen as significant in its own way as that of the pre-Independence eras. The Committee sees assisting in the emergence of a new generation of writers for the 21st century as an essential aspect of its role.

To accomplish this aim, the Committee's first duty is to set high standards in the judging process, while recognising that unpublished work will not have had the benefit of feedback from many readers. Part of the Committee's task, therefore, is to recognise and encourage potential, while evaluating and rewarding work which could hold its own in any literary arena. It is hoped that by entering for the award, writers, even if they do not win prizes immediately, will be encouraged to persevere, to acquire new skills, to learn and to try again. It is in this spirit of constructive competition that writers are invited to submit their work in one or more of the categories. Winners receive cash prizes and are expected to put their work forward for publication, with the help of the Committee.

You Writers may submit work in any one or more of the following categories. You should clearly identify the category in which you wish your manuscript to be judged.

Single poems are not accepted in this category, unless they are of a length to stand comparison with a collection, i.e., an epic or long narrative poem. Most entries will be collections of poems written over a period of time.

Short story collections (rather than single stories), novellas and novels will be accepted. Personal reminiscence, anecdotes and autobiography are not eligible.

Autobiography, biography, travel writing and some kinds of historical or archival writing is are acceptable in this category, at the discretion of the judges. The Committee reserves the right to exclude work deemed to be inappropriate., such as Aacademic theses, literary criticism and other scholarly writing whose primary purpose is research are not eligible.

The works in each category should be unpublished, though the Committee may accept works entries from which excerpts or single poems or short stories have been published. They Entries should be original and should show awareness of the basic requirements of genre. The Committee is looking for a distinctive use of voice, a facility with and feeling for language, and an understanding of structure. This does not, however, imply that work should not be experimental or mix generic conventions, or that it should be written to a formula.

All decisions of the Committee shall be final.

The Chairman

Frank Collymore Literary Endowment

Central Bank of Barbados

Tom Adams Financial Centre

Church Village,

P.O. Box 1016, Bridgetown

Barbados, W.I.