A volume of creative poems and another filled with captivating stories, both written by local students, were recently presented to Governor Bruce Dinwiddy, Education Minister Alden McLaughlin and to Education Ministry Permanent Secretary Angela Martins.
The two books, The Coutts Collection 2005 and The Best of 21 serve as a testament to the value of creative writing, and are also a tribute to the annual National Children’s Festival of the Arts in which the literary efforts were entered, said a GIS press release.
Presenting the two new publications were Chief Education Officer and NCFA Chairman Nyda Flatley; NCFA Coordinator Stephanie Williams; and Cayman National Cultural Foundation representative Marcia Muttoo.
Mrs. Flatley commented, ‘We justly take pride in our children and in these books and we look forward to continued growth in this literary collection.’
Mr. Dinwiddy, whose service in the Cayman Islands concludes this month, accepted his copies with gratitude, saying, ‘It’s terrific to have these as mementos of the Cayman Islands and its vibrant youth culture.’
Ministry officials echoed his sentiments on the significance of this publication and offered their congratulations to all involved in the project.
The Coutts Collection 2005, with its cover by artist Dulian Terry, is a collection of poems and essays that won Gold Awards in the 2005 Festival’s Literary Competition. This is the fifth consecutive year that Coutts (Cayman) Limited has sponsored the annual publication of these creative writings, the release said.
Managing Director Andrew Galloway comments in the publication, ‘Special thanks are due to the organizers, and the children, for making the extra effort this year despite all the surrounding difficulties and stresses.’ He added that Coutts, both locally and internationally, is committed to supporting the arts and are proud to have been associated with the NCFA over the years.
While some of the material in Coutts Collection 2005 deals with subjects that remain popular with children, including fantasy, nature, the beauty of the Islands and fairy tales, many of this year’s pieces also record the trauma of dealing with the ravages of Hurricane Ivan.
‘The style and content of some of those pieces is indeed brilliant. It probably offers therapeutic benefits to our children to confront and write about their fears,’ said Ms Williams. ‘One hopes that this will offer comfort and solace to them.’
The Best of 21 is an anthology containing the best pieces from the past 21 years. With its cover illustration by artist Nickola McCoy and a thatch border design on each page by John Doak, it is also a tribute to local fine arts.
There is strong Caymanian content throughout the 214-page book, and even where the content is not specifically local, it relates to storms, foods, sunsets and the Middle Passage experience – subjects that all Caribbean people share.
Noting that the arts seem to go hand-in-hand with academics, Mrs. Muttoo also congratulated the students and everyone involved in the continuation of the annual arts festival.
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