Tag Archives: Joanne C. Hillhouse

July 6, 2017 · 4:42 pm

Burt Award for Caribbean Literature Now Open for Submissions

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Now in its fifth year, the Burt Award for Caribbean Literature recognizes up to three English-language literary works for young adults (aged 12 through 18) written by Caribbean authors.

CaribbeanReads has had the pleasure of publishing two Burt Award winners, 2nd place winner in 2014 Musical Youth by Joanne C. Hillhouse and 3rd place winner in 2016 The Protectors’ Pledge by Danielle Y. C. McClean.

This year, the winning title will be awarded $10,000 CDN, and two finalists will be awarded $2,000 CDN each.

Publishers of winning titles will be awarded a guaranteed purchase of up to 2,500 copies, which will be donated to schools, libraries, and literacy organizations throughout the region. To date, more than 22,000 copies of winning books have made their way into the hands of Caribbean youth.

Published books, previously self-published books, and unpublished manuscripts are eligible for the award. Eligible books and unpublished manuscripts may be submitted to the Bocas Lit Fest by publishers registered and operating in the Caribbean. Unpublished manuscripts or previously self-published books may be submitted by authors directly to the Bocas Lit Fest.

Books published between 1 November 2016 and 31 October 2017 and eligible manuscripts must be received at the office of the Bocas Lit Fest by 31 October 2017.

See attached for the official 2018 guidelines and entry form. More information at http://www.bocaslitfest.com/2018/burt-award/

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July 3, 2017 · 5:57 pm

Extract – Musical Youth

In this extract of the award-winning novel Musical Youth by Joanne C. Hillhouse, Zahara, Shaka, and their friends are practicing for a summer musical performance. With opening night just one night away Zahara struggles to get the dance moves right. She’s comfortable on the guitar but dancing just does not seem to be her thing as we see in this short extract from Musical Youth by Joanne C. Hillhouse. Read more of this book in eBook or in print. Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and stores near you. More information about this book.

 

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July 19, 2015 · 2:02 pm

Read and Win! Summer competition

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Antiguan and Barbudan teens have a great opportunity to get creative this summer and a chance to win prizes.

Teens in Antigua and Barbuda, this one’s for you! As part of the Cushion Club Wadadli Pen Summer Reading Challenge, Antiguan and Barbudan teens, 12 to 18, are being invited to read Musical Youth, a Best of Books’ teen summer pick, post a musical or otherwise creative review to the social media platform of your choice, and send the link to submissions@caribbeanreads.com

Here’s what you do:

  1. Read Musical Youth (available at local bookstores)
  2. Review the book in your most creative way – write an essay, a poem, a song, create a video, however you love to express yourself best.
  3. Post your review on your favorite social media site, using the hashtags #musicalyouth #caribbeanreads
  4. Email your name, age, contact information, and a link to the review to submissions@caribbeanreads.com
  5. Possibly Win a prize!

Rules:

  • Submissions must be received by August 31, 2015.
  • Open to residents of Antigua and Barbuda aged 12-18 only.
  • Winners will be announced in September 2015 and the top three chosen entries will receive prizes courtesy of CaribbeanReads Publishing and Joanne C. Hillhouse.
  • There is no limit to the number of entries that one teen can submit.
  • Original entries only. By entering you are indicating that the submission is your own original work.
  • Each participant submitting an entry agrees to use of his/her name and/or entry by CaribbeanReads for promotional purposes in any medium without additional compensation.

More Information

This is a challenge within a challenge.

You don’t know about the original Cushion Club Wadadli Pen Summer Reading challenge?

Here it is in 50 words or less: Read as many books as you want, write a really-really-really short review of each book read, email your list of books completed and reviews to cushionclub@yahoo.com at the end of August. Maybe win a prize. There are discounts and minimum requirements; search “reading challenge” at the Wadadli Pen website (http://wadadlipen.wordpress.com) for details.

The Map Shop and the Best of Books helped compile the reading lists, so you know the books can be sourced in Antigua and Barbuda. The Best of Books and Cindy’s Bookstore are offering 20 percent discounts to anyone “taking the challenge”. Now, Caribbean Reads Publishing and Joanne C. Hillhouse – publisher and author, respectively – have made the challenge just a little more “Musical”. As Musical Youth, second placed for the Burt Award for Caribbean Literature in 2014, is targeted at teens; they want to know what teens think of this book. This additional prize – sponsored by the publisher and author of Musical Youth – will go to the most creative review.

 

 

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November 21, 2014 · 2:23 am

Leonard Tim Hector Memorial Award

Receiving AwardOn November 20, 2014 Director General of the National Commission on Science and  Technology (NCST), Professor Errol Morrison delivered the address at the 12th Annual Distinguished Leonard Tim Hector Memorial Lecture in Antigua. As a part of the event, the Leonard Tim Hector Memorial Award was presented to CaribbeanReads author, Joanne C. Hillhouse, for her perennial and exemplary contributions to the advancement of Antigus, especially in areas of journalism, literary arts, and the development of our youth.

The late Leonard Tim Hector is described as an Antiguan writer, publisher, politician, educator, culturalist, journalist, historian and cricketeer. tim_hectorHe published the newspaper The Outlet and the online column “Fan the Flame”. Some of his writings express views very much in line with the CaribbeanReads mission to produce books that tell the stories of Caribbean people.

“When I was younger, and at university my friends used to tell me that West Indian poetry and novels were too real, “too full of the emptiness of life around us” one wrote and “giving little by way of hope” another friend wrote to me. I replied we grew up on the alien “daffodils” which we knew not, on cowboys’ rustlers and assorted crooks in the wild, wild west, so literature always seemed distant. And nothing enhances the view like distance. Our own story near at hand and familiar did not seem like a story worth telling for we thought of ourselves as of little worth in the global scheme of the young and the restless or the bold and the beautiful.”

From: “Fan the Flame” by Leonard “Tim” Hector (by way of Geoffrey Philp’s blog.)

West Indian literature has evolved and expanded beyond the type of writing that Mr. Hector’s friends described. But we must continue to challenge ourselves and to see ourselves, our thoughts, and experiences as worthy and interesting of being recorded and read not only by our own people by worldwide.

 

 

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November 16, 2014 · 2:54 pm

Zahara like Sahara

Zahara like Sahara.

This is the first line of Joanne C. Hillhouse’s new young adult novel Musical Youth.

Zahara is the name of the female protagonist and this is the rhyme taught to her when she was a child. The name is lovely, intriguing. It has an African feel to it and a distinct musical lilt, which is fitting. Musical Youth’s Zahara shares her name with a South African singer-songwriter, poet, and brand ambassador for the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital. Perhaps young Zahara’s mother was a fan of the South African musician. Whether this was the case or not, the name is fitting as Zahara turns out to be a boss guitarist, singer, and song writer even as a teenager.

The name is fitting on a more basic level. Apparently it is of Arabic and Hebrew origin, and means “flowering; shining”. Readers will judge for themselves, but when you read Musical Youth and you are swept along on Zahara’s journey from wall flower to stunning guitarist, those words, “flowering and shining” may seem like the perfect description for this intriguing young lady.

What do you think of the name? Any questions for the author on her choice?

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November 13, 2014 · 3:24 pm

Joanne talks about the characters in Musical Youth

Still from ABS InterviewIn a recent interview with ABS News, Joanne C. Hillhouse, author of Musical Youth, promotes the upcoming CODE sponsored writers’ workshop and talks about Zahara, the main protagonist in the book.

Watch the interview here.

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