Is your tongue golden? Well, if it's not you don't stand a chance to win the inaugural Golden Tongue Award (GTA) to be announced at this year's Poetry in Motion (PIM) show at Villa Gardens in Mandeville, Manchester, on February 28. And even if it is, it should not be the type that causes all sorts of sensual sensations, nor that which is bitter and caustic. Edutainment Promotion, organisers of the event, is looking for the Jamaican tongue that best creates mellifluous poetic works of art.
Sponsored by Jamaica International Insurance Company Ltd (JIIC), it is a poetry challenge/competition, whose winner will be selected by a panel of distinguished adjudicators from entries submitted between January 15 and February 15. Participants are expected to submit an original poem depicting and reflecting an aspect of Jamaican life in a positive and uplifting way. It targets only unpublished/unrecorded poets living on the island, and no one affiliated with PIM or Edutainment Promotion is eligible.
"The GTA is being created to stimulate responsible interest in the performing arts generally, and poetry specifically. It is hoped that this will inspire and promote social awareness among Jamaicans and instil a sustainable interest in social responsibility, creative writing, literature and the Jamaican culture and heritage," Edutainment Promotion says.
Entry forms are available upon request at all JIIC offices islandwide, the Ministry of Education regional offices or through an email response from goldentongueaward@gmail.com. The poems must be submitted with the entry forms. In addition to the trophy, the winner will receive a laptop and other incentives, while the two runners-up will receive trophies and prizes, all courtesy of JIIC. The winner also earns the right to perform his/her poem at PIM and other related events.
Highlight talented poets
"The GTA, in harmony with PIM and the 'edutainment' concepts, seeks to identify, highlight and celebrate talented poets and present them at PIM, as well as giving them helpful tools such as computers, trophies, cash, books, guidance and exposure ... . We have organised a poetry competition that encourages and challenges prospective poets to write poems reflecting some aspects of Jamaican life, but in such a socially aware and responsible way that they alleviate and offer insights and solutions rather than compounding our challenges," the promoters say.
Though the contest is open to all age groups, permission/approval must be given by a parent/guardian or teacher to entrants under 18 years old. The promoters accept no responsibility for the copyrights of the works or for any infringement of rights that any entrant is guilty of. However, the original poems submitted become the property of Edutainment Promotion and may not be used without the permission of the entrants, except for promotional purposes relating to the GTA.
Initially, the award will be given to the winner of the Poetry in Motion Golden Tongue Poetry Competition to be promoted across Jamaica, with an emphasis among the youths, with the assistance of the Ministry of Education. As the GTA develops, it will include short stories, compositions, letters, skits/plays and the visual arts. It will also be extended to the wider Jamaican diaspora. For more information contact edutainmentpromo@yahoo.com.
paul.williams@gleanerjm.com
Though the contest is open to all age groups, permission/approval must be given by a parent/guardian or teacher to entrants under 18 years old. The promoters accept no responsibility for the copyrights of the works or for any infringement of rights that any entrant is guilty of.