PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – On Wednesday late afternoon, very good news from the National Library of Curaҫao (BNK) came in for Loekie Morales. ‘I have screamed like crazy in the house when I read the letter, that I have won the writing competition again. Now, with both stories I’ve brought in,’ Morales stated.
“I was just on time with sending in of two stories. On the day of the deadline for submitting the stories for the gift book on the occasion of the “Siman di Ban Lesa” (reading book week) 2020, I’ve gotten a reminder from colleague author Diana Lebacs to send in my story. Since I didn’t get an invitation letter to participate, I’ve called the library to discover why. In first instance ‘foreign authors’ were not invited to participate. I was considered a Sint Maarten author and the project leader didn’t want those authors to have expectations of being invited to the book week in Curaҫao, since the funds are not there as yet.
‘But, I thought: Participating in this writing competition is a different thing than participating in the book week, visiting schools. The one doesn’t need to exclude the other one. Above all, I was born and raised in Curaҫao, so I put on the naughty shoes and still send in 2 stories about historical events in Curaҫao. And to my big surprise, I got the letter of BNK with the good news’, stated Morales. The letter stated:
We greatly appreciate the contributions of all authors and poets and would like to thank all of you in this way for your participation. Our expectations have been amply exceeded by so much creativity, originality and talent from local and international writers and poets. Our judging committee was then faced with a very difficult task in making a selection. We have received a total of 26 authors and poets, 32 stories and poems. As mentioned in our earlier letter, we would select 15 stories/poems from all entries for this book.’
Then a list with the winning authors and the titles of their stories followed: Loekie Morales with ‘Willemstad in Brand’ and ‘De val van de Julianabrug’. The first story is about the revolt on the 30th of May 1969 and the latter is about the falling down of the Juliana bridge in 1967.
This letter mentions furthermore, ‘We will contact the above mentioned authors for the next steps in the publication process, Morales stated.
I am so happy to have my stories published in such a prestigious present book, that will be distributed to all primary schools in Curaҫao especially during the Children book week. I am really grateful for every beautiful thing that happens to me’, Morales concluded.
In the picture: Loekie Morales, author, poet and President of Beyond Kultura Events Foundation
