Both Sides of The Coin: The Story of The Central Bank of Barbados 1972-2017

196 The Frank Collymore Literary Endowment (FCLE) During the late 1980s and early 1990s some of Barbados’ well- known poets were invited by Carl Moore to read at the Bank. One such reading, entitled Words: a Gathering of Poets, took place in the Grande Salle in October 1990. However, a major boost to writing was provided in 1998 after Moore convinced Governor Cox to commit the Bank to the launch of the FCLE, an initiative to promote and reward quality writing in Barbados. The first chairman of the Endowment was John Wickham, a writer himself, and the membership included Collymore’s widow Ellice, Dame Patricia Symmonds, Carl Moore, Christine Matthews, Dr. Jane Bryce, Alfred Pragnell, Gladstone Holder, Andy Taitt, Ulric Rice, Prof. Mark McWatt, and Antonio “Boo” Rudder. The judges could award up to $20,000 in prizes for the best offering in drama, poetry and prose, including non-fiction. 97 The inaugural competition in 1998, which attracted 53 manuscripts, was won by poet Margaret Gill, with her work, Alternative Songs of the Kingdom of the Lilies . The runner-up that year, Dana Gilkes, took the first prize in the following year. The Award quickly established itself as a coveted prize and started to attract some well-known writers. Glenville Lovell was a joint first prize winner in 2002 and since then won various prizes on six occasions. Up to 2016, two writers, Kamau Brathwaite (in Left: Margaret Gill, inaugural winner of the FCLE first prize in 1998. Right: FCLE Chairman Andy Taitt, Linda Deane (first prize winner), Robert Sandiford (second prize winner), Nailah Folami Imoja (third prize winner) and Governor Williams in 2006.