Elson Gaskin: The Frank Collymore Literary Endowment - building on
its legacy
Remarks by Mr Elson Gaskin, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados, at the
26th Frank Collymore Literary Endowment Awards Ceremony, Bridgetown, 14 January
2024.
* * *
Good evening.
In commencing, let me, on behalf of the Governor, Board, management and staff of the
Central Bank of Barbados, extend condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of
the late Sonia Williams, who on more than one occasion was a finalist in this
competition.
As I began to prepare for this awards ceremony, I looked back at what we have said on
previous occasions as it is sometimes important to take a retrospect before moving
forward. What stood out during that exercise is that we have often spoken about the
role that the arts play in creating a national identity . Just last year, we spoke about the
fact that not only is the FCLE a part of the Bank's legacy, it has created a legacy of its
own .
The Central Bank of Barbados' unswerving support for and commitment to the Frank
Collymore Literary Endowment is precisely because we recognise that in addition to
fulfilling our core mandate, we must be a part of, and never apart from, the society we
serve. We see this programme as an essential part of the Barbadiana that we are .
One year ago, the Bank was winding down its 50th anniversary celebrations and the
FCLE was marking its silver jubilee. The parallels between the two institutions - and I
choose this word deliberately because the Frank Collymore Literary Endowment has
become an institution - extend beyond celebrating milestone anniversaries around the
same time.
Both are interested in Barbados' national development. For the Bank, that is primarily,
but not exclusively, related to the economy. For the FCLE, it is about the development
of this island's literary tradition. It is a role we both take seriously, and from which
comes a second parallel: our respective commitment to excellence.
The Central Bank of Barbados' vision is to become and maintain an institution of
worldclass excellence, and we are working every day to internalise this vision and reflect it in
not only in the many activities in which we are involved an but also in the quality with
which we execute them.
I am confident that the FCLE and its committee also live by this ideal. Over the past 26
years, the competition has become a bellwether of quality writing. Publishers, critics,
and the public-at-large see winning this competition as an endorsement. I commend the
judges for remaining faithful to these ideals and never compromising in their
assessments of entries.
The final parallel I'd like to draw relates to how we view our legacy. While the Bank and
the FCLE have each created a legacy, we are not constrained by it. By that, I mean that
although we respect the legacy we have built, we do not see it as static. Rather, we see
it as a solid foundation to be further built upon.
For the Bank, this includes updating our processes, including through the digital
transformation we are currently undergoing. It also means adjusting how we approach
fulfilling our mandate, be it through developing a strong monetary policy toolkit or
finding new and creative ways to educate the public about the economy and how it
impacts them, as we have through our new explainer series.
For the FCLE, this has meant allowing for the electronic submission of entries and, by
extension, accepting entries from Barbadians in the diaspora. In less than three years,
this expansion proved successful, with Ronald Williams, a US-based writer, emerging
as the first prize winner of the 24th edition of the competition in 2022.
This year, the FCLE has innovated again by introducing a spoken-word category. This
once again opens up the competition to more artists, more perspectives, and more
opportunities for talented Barbadians to gain exposure. Kudos to the committee for this
initiative.
Indeed, I want to convey my appreciation, and the Central Bank of Barbados'
appreciation, as sponsor of this endowment, to the FCLE committee, now ably led by
Dr. Yvonne Weekes, for your enthusiasm and tireless dedication to this programme.
The Bank has long been a supporter of the arts, and you have helped us to contribute
to their development in a tangible way.
I must also thank the writers: the stalwarts, who have contributed to the legacy I have
spoken about this evening, and the first-time entrants, who heard about this
competition, saw its value, and decided to participate. A special thank you to the
spoken-word artists, who, by their entries, have helped us to add a new dimension to
the competition. Congratulations to those of you who will emerge as winners later this
evening. And to those of you for whom this is not the year, I encourage you to continue
to write and to hone your craft.
Finally, I am grateful to you in the audience who have turned out tonight, either to
support specific writers or Barbadian writing in general.
I thank you.