Writers and teachers invited to get submissions in, as judging of Wadadli Pen competition goes global

The 20th anniversary of the Wadadli Pen writing challenge will be a completely online event this year, according to Barbara Arrindell, one of the organisers. 

Started by renowned author Joanne Hillhouse, the competition is still going strong; getting bigger and better; and gaining more recognition and appreciation, Arrindell says. 

She adds that the literary contest is now more than a writing challenge, as it is encouraging writers to aim higher and to spread their talents wider.

Arrindell explains that staging the competition entirely online  makes it easier to get the entries to the judges, who are selected from all over the world.

This year, the 18-and-Over category will remain, as has been the case for the past two years when Wadadli Pen was expanded beyond the youth.  

There is no restriction on who can enter the competition – other than the submission must be online, Arrindell says.  And whatever the storyline, the composition should be about 500 words maximum. However, she says, this does not mean that an entry of 150 or 200 words cannot be the winning piece.

Arrindell is encouraging teachers to use this competition as a class project for their students.  Those taking part in the competition are not restricted in what they can write about – provided it is Caribbean-based.  

Submissions for the competition opened on January 16 and will close on February 16.  So the organizers are encouraging interested persons to begin putting their thoughts on paper in order to meet the deadline.

That was Barbara Arrindell, speaking about this year’s Wadadli Pen writing competition.