The winner of the 2022 NGC Bocas Youth Writer Award is Rashad Hosein
Rashad Hosein has won the 2022 NGC Bocas Youth Writer Award, which comes with a cash prize of TT $5,000, sponsored by the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited. The announcement was made on Saturday 7 January at an award ceremony honouring the young finalists for the award, hosted at The Writer’s Centre by the NGC Bocas Lit Fest.
The 24-year old author was selected as the winner from four finalists, with his short fictional work “Saga”. Hosein has already established himself as an writer to watch, after winning the John Steinbeck Award for Fiction last year from Reed Magazine. He has also been a finalist for the BCLF Elizabeth Nunez Award for Caribbean Writers, was longlisted for the Galley Beggar Press Short Story Prize, and shortlisted twice for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize in 2019 and 2021.
2022 NGC Bocas Youth Writer Award shortlist
- Spoken Word -Shimiah Lewis
- Poetry – Kervisha Cordice
- Fiction – Rashad Hosein
- Creative Nonfiction – Ronaldo Katwaroo
Do you know a young person who commands the pen and page,
or who touches hearts when they share online or center stage?
In a story, a poem, a song, an article; words impressively put together,
Maybe they are a screenwriter, or maybe a blogger?
With bated breath the audience waits whenever they pause…
WOW, A brilliant mind that leaves you in awe!
Nominate them for the NGC BOCAS Youth Writer 2022 Award!
Literature is always evolving. With the full landscape of literature in view, in 2021 the NGC Bocas Lit Fest introduced a pioneering inter-genre NGC Bocas Youth Writer Award for young people based in Trinidad and Tobago. With the help of a diverse panel of judges, we are determined to find and celebrate young writers of talent in any corner of literature, including poetry, playwriting, fiction, creative nonfiction, journalism, scriptwriting, spoken word, blog writing, and song lyrics. The NGC Bocas Youth Writer for 2022 will receive a cash prize of TT$5,000, and have their writing showcased as part of the 2023 NGC Bocas Youth Fest. The winner will be the young person in the literary arts whom the judges deem as demonstrating the most impact with their work in the last year. The judges will explore two key questions:
- How has this literary work made an impact? Indicators such as creative influence, critical acclaim, and online views, shares, and reach will be considered.
- Is the literary work of high quality? Does it show originality of thought and style, a command of language and form, general creativity, and the ability to influence readers?
About the NGC Bocas Youth Writer Award
To be eligible for entry, a writer must:
- Be of Trinidad and Tobago birth or citizenship, living in Trinidad and Tobago, and writing in English;
- Be 25 years old or younger on 31 December, 2022;
- Have published or publicly released one or more works of literary art with notable impact (national or international) between 1 August, 2021, and 31 July, 2022.
Submissions in the following categories of writing are eligible:
- Fiction (published short stories or a published novel)
- Poetry (several individual poems published in magazines or online, or a published pamphlet/chapbook or book)
- Creative nonfiction (which may include published essays, biography or autobiography, arts criticism, and other creative genres, whether they have appeared as individual pieces or a book)
- Song lyrics (all genres of music, either recorded and publicly released, or publicly performed)
- Blogging (on any topic of general interest, with a track record of regular online publication for a general audience)
- Journalism (including news reporting and feature writing for newspapers or magazines, or newspaper commentary/columns)
- Spoken word poetry (with a track record of public performance)
- Playwriting or any other form of writing for live performance
- Scriptwriting for film or TV
How to submit a nomination
- You can nominate yourself or any other writer who meets the eligibility criteria. If you’re nominating someone else, please confirm that you have their permission. For nominees under the age of 18, please also confirm that you have the permission of their parent or guardian. Note that finalists and winners will be expected to participate in an interview, and their names, images, and biographical information may be used in announcing and promoting the award.
- The deadline for submission of nominations is 15 October, 2022. Nominations that arrive after this date will not be considered.
- You must complete the online entry form on this page for each nomination.
- For each nomination, please upload a PDF containing a short biography/curriculum vitae of the writer. The biography should be no more than 100 words long and should be accompanied by a list of the writer’s publications, performances, or releases in the applicable genre within the period 1 August, 2021 to 31 July, 2022. It should also be accompanied by a short statement no more than 200 words long, explaining why you think the impact of the writer’s work in the eligibility period qualifies them for the award.
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- Each nomination must also include a sample of the writer’s work in PDF format — see below for details. Please ensure the writer’s name is included in the PDF.
What to submit for each genre
Fiction, poetry, or creative non-fiction
Please upload a PDF sample of published writing of approximately 3,000 words or less (this may be an excerpt from a longer work), including publication information (name/place/date of publication, etc.).
Song lyrics
Please upload a PDF with the lyrics of up to five songs, including information on public release or performance.
Blogging
Please upload a PDF sample of one or more published blog posts, to a total of 3,000 words or less, along with the relevant URL(s).
Journalism
Please upload a PDF sample of up to five published articles or columns, to a total of 3,000 words or less, including publication information (name/place/date of publication, URL if applicable, etc.).
Spoken word poetry
Please upload a PDF including a link to a video recording of up to three spoken word poems, hosted on either YouTube or Vimeo, along with the texts of the relevant pieces. Please also include any relevant information about the performance history of the pieces.
Playwriting or any other form of writing for live performance
Please upload a PDF of the script or an excerpt (up to 20 pages), along with relevant information about the performance history of the piece. Note: the script must have been publicly performed within the eligibility period. If the live performance was recorded and is posted online, please include the URL.
Scriptwriting for film or TV
Please upload a PDF including a link to one film (feature length or short, documentary or fiction) or TV programme, hosted on either YouTube or Vimeo, along with the script. Please also include any relevant information about the broadcast history of the piece.
Twenty-four year old blogger Harmony Farrell was the winner of the inaugural inter-genre NGC Bocas Youth Writer Award in 2021. Read more here.
We enjoyed her writing and appreciated her commentary on topical issues which demonstrates a critical approach that is much needed in the mainstream. We believe Harmony’s work will have widespread reach and great impact. We strongly feel she has the potential to become a voice for her generation.” — Franka Philip, Head Judge, 2021 NGC Bocas Youth Writer Award