By Georgia Hemmings, Staff Reporter 
Norma Hines-Brissett, left, receives the sole silver award for best essay in the 2002 Jamaica Creative Writing Competition from Kaydeon Thomas, National Festival Queen 2002.
When judges at the literary arts competition, organised by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), sharply criticised participants about the quality of their entries, it was the guest speaker who came stoutly to their defence.
Internationally acclaimed author, Colin Channer, scathingly rebuked the judges' harsh criticism, urging them instead to help make better writers.
"Where does one go to learn to write a play or novel or poem?" he questioned. "We're not taught to do so in any school or community centres."
Mr. Channer was speaking last Wednesday at the awards ceremony of the new Jamaica Creative Writing Competition (which has replaced the former National Literary Arts Competition), held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston.
Dwindling numbers, uneven quality and presentation, lack of technique and craftsmanship and bad grammar, were the major weaknesses highlighted by the judges in the 530 poems, novels, plays, short stories and essays submitted for consideration.
"These are the same weaknesses we highlight year after year in the hope that participants will do better," said Nicola Johnson, representing adjudicators for the poetry category.
But Mr. Channer in a speech delivered "from the heart" (replacing his prepared text), chided the judges for their over-criticism, although he said he understood their frustration.
He reminded them that "writing is oftentimes a solitary profession, undertaken by someone who sits up late at night, with no time to proof-read or spell-check. And if the language sounds stilted, it's because this is how we learnt in school."
Relating his own efforts to get works published, Mr. Channer urged local publishers to be more supportive of writers. He listed a genuine love of writing, the need to read widely, humility and the capacity to listen, along with "ambition, a plan, and a degree of arrogance" as necessary qualities for writers to succeed.
"That feeling that 'I matter' will allow you to look at the world in a different way, put this on paper and share it with the world, and believe that they are interested in what you have to say," he explained.
He had praise for the participants, applauding them for the "courage it took to submit a piece of work for scrutiny and judgment, whether you won medals or not."
He urged them to "never stop writing, for there are too many stories to be written, and the full [story] has never been told."
While no gold medal was awarded thus year, nine silver medals were awarded in the various categories.
One silver was awarded for adult short story, as well as one bronze and three certificates of merit. Two other stories were cited for an "honourable mention".
At the intermediate level (ages 13 to 17), only two certificates of merit were awarded, while no awards were made in the junior category short story category.
Poetry led as the category with the most entries - 445 - and the most awards, receiving four silver and eight bronze medals.
Three silver medals were given in the adult category, and one in the junior category (ages 12 and under). One bronze was award was made for junior poetry, three in the intermediate category and four for adult poetry.
Twenty certificates of merit were issued to 'worthy' poets at the adult, intermediate and junior levels.
The sole silver in the essay section was received by Norma Hines-Brissett for "Remembering Independence Day '62", while one bronze and three merits were also awarded.
