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The Tobago Writers The Tobago Writers Guilg
The Tobago Writers Guild was incorporated on February 12, 2010 as a non-profit organisation with the following aims:
• The promotion of writing-creative, historical or otherwise;
• The promotion an...view moreThe Tobago Writers Guild was incorporated on February 12, 2010 as a non-profit organisation with the following aims:
• The promotion of writing-creative, historical or otherwise;
• The promotion and improvement of reading;
• The creation of a community of writers;
• The provision of assistance to schools and community based groups in the areas of writing, reading and dramatic presentations; and
• All activities incidental thereto.
The group was formed out of a Writers workshop that took place in 2008. Present were Marlene NourbeSe Philip, award winning author of Harriet’s Daughter and Zong, Deborah Moore-Miggins, author of The Caribbean Proverbs that Raised Us, Umilta Roberts-Henry, writer of eulogies and skits and Laureen Burris-Phillip, winner of the Commonwealth Short Story Competition for the region 1996. All participants felt the need for the creation of a writers’ group in Tobago.
Regular monthly meetings were held at Laureen Burris-Phillip’s home, aimed at refining our aims and objectives and encouraging actual writing by members. There were “open mic” sessions at every meeting when members presented their work. Members present a wide spectrum of work-poetry, short stories, calypsos, monologues and research work.
As soon as the incorporation process was complete, the guild was launched at a ceremony in April 2010 at the Itsy Bitsy Theatre where work of a very high calibre was presented. Due to the fact that this was the first major function, patrons were invited and treated to the show with refreshments. Since then the TWG has held its Literary Affair every year, the latest being its fifth edition on May 29th, 2014. In 2012, another annual function was added in October or November called the Reading Fest where anyone, audience of TWG member could read a favourite piece from any book, journal or anything they have written. This function has its own “crowd” and is greeted with enthusiasm in the latter half of the year.
There has been collaboration in planning the Tobago Word Festival with the Empowerment Foundation of Tobago and, in 2014 the group participated in the Bocas Lit Festival in Tobago.
We have also held a writing competition every year since 2010 for all age groups in the areas of calypso, monologue, short story, poetry and play writing. Though the response to our first attempt was not as enthusiastic as we had anticipated we will not be deterred in our effort to encourage all types of writing in Tobago.
The production of this book, Tobago in Print, was the major project for the 2014-2015 period. We hope readers would enjoy reading it. We have allowed each writer the latitude of using the format, font, style and layout that he or she believed would complement his work. We hope that readers find this presentation interesting and take no objection to the lack of uniformity in the arrangement.
The current executive of the Tobago Writers Guild is Mr. Reginald Phillips (President), Mrs. Ann-Marie Davis (Vice-President), Mrs. Laureen Burris-Phillip ( Treasurer), and Mrs. Deborah Moore-Miggins (Secretary). Membership now stands at approximately 30 with further plans to create special categories of membership.view less