The award-winning pieces of the 2016 Jamaica Creative Writing Competition which are currently being showcased in the competition’s annual island-wide tour have now reached the Western Region, and will be on display throughout the parishes of Trelawny, St. James, Hanover and Westmoreland, beginning on Monday November 28.

The western leg of the tour, which was officially launched in a ceremony at the Falmouth Town Square in Trelawny on November 25, will see the exhibition being hosted at the Trelawny Parish Library from Monday, November 28 to Monday, December 12. From there, the exhibition will move to St. James, where it will be hosted from December 14 to January 2, then on to Hanover, from January 4 to January 18. Persons in Westmoreland will be able to observe the Exhibition from January 20 to February 3.

The pieces being showcased in the exhibition are from amateur and professional writers who entered their creative works in the categories: Poetry, Short Stories, Novels, Essays and Plays. In addition, persons also wrote and won special prizes under the National Health Fund’s theme “Healthy Living Reimagining Food… Healthy Eating on a Low Budget”, Nestle Jamaica’s theme “Eat Healthy…Exercise…Knock-out Obesity” and the National Road Safety Council’s theme “Protect your life! Use safety devices”.

The island-wide tour will see the winning pieces being hosted in parish libraries across all 14 parishes between August 9, 2016 and April 12, 2017. The exhibition will give members of the public the opportunity to appreciate and recognize the award-winning works.

The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) Jamaica Creative Writing Competition has been one of the best channels of providing writers with the opportunity of recognizing and validating their writing talent, while showcasing and promoting writers and their original work.