2021 and 2022 National Reading Competition Champions Awarded
By: , August 30, 2022
Photo: Contributed
Jamaica Library Service Board Chairman, Paul Lalor (left), presents National 15-20 Runner-Up in the 2021 National Reading Competition, Suwayne Cameron, with a trophy and books during the awards ceremony at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston, on August 26. Ms Cameron represented the Manchester Parish Library Network.
Photo: Contributed
National Champion in the 21 and over age group for this year’s National Reading Competition and the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Library Network’s representative, Adlyn Smith Graham (second left, front row), and 15-20 National Champion for contest’s 2021 staging, Peter Haynes (second right, front row) from the Portland Parish Library Network, proudly display their trophies, during the awards ceremony at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston on August 26. Both received the highest overall score in the 2022 and 2021 staging of the annual contest, respectively. They are flanked by (foreground, from left) Jamaica Library Service (JLS) Director General, Maureen Thompson, and Board Chairman, Paul Lalor. Also sharing the moment are (background, from left) Chief Executive Officer, VM Foundation, Samantha Charles; Welcome to Jamrock Reggae Cruise’s Cindy Breakspeare, and Project Manager, Geo-Tech Vision, Stephen Wedderburn.
Photo: Contributed
The National Champions in the five age groups of the Jamaica Library Service (JLS) 2022 National Reading Competition (foreground, from left) are: 12-14 Champion, Janae Brown who represented the St. Ann Parish Library Network; 15-20 champion, Allyiauna Gordon from the St. Thomas Parish Library Network; 21 and over champion, Adlyn Smith Graham from the Kingston and St. Andrew Parish Library Network; 9-11 Champion, Aly-Anna Holness from the St. Catherine Parish Library Network, and 6-8 Champion, Cavane Carter from the Portland Parish Library Network. Celebrating with them are (background, from left) JLS Board Chairman, Paul Lalor, and Chief Executive Officer, VM Foundation, Samantha Charles. The 2021 and 2022 National Champions were awarded during a ceremony at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on August 26.The Full Story
The Jamaica Library Service (JLS) crowned the 2021 and 2022 champions in its annual National Reading Competition, on August 26.
The presentation ceremony, which took place at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston, was delayed to this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, although the competition was held both years.
From the five age groups (6-8, 9-11, 12-14, 15-20, and 21 and over), the 2022 national champions are: Cavane Carter, who represented Portland; Aly-Anna Holness of St Catherine; St Ann’s Janae Brown; Allyiauna Gordon of St Thomas, and Adlyn Smith Graham from Kingston and St Andrew.
For 2021, the national champions were Justin Plunkett of St Ann; Kyle Bennett, Clarendon; Phillena Dunn, St Thomas; Portland’s Peter Haynes, and Marjorie Howitt Bennett, who also represented the Clarendon Parish Library Network.
The winners were presented with trophies, books, cash, tablets, and other prizes, which were provided by an array of sponsors. The runners up were also awarded.
JLS Board Chairman, Paul Lalor, noted that the competition, which has been held consecutively for the past 35 years, is a flagship event for the organisation and aims to develop good reading habits and analytical skills among Jamaicans.
Director General, Maureen Thompson, pointed out that the contest faced the ultimate test in 2020, with the usual numbers of over 5,000 entries dwindling to just over 500.
“Last year, however, we saw an increase. The numbers rose to 1,835 members who registered and participated in the competition. This represented a 47 per cent increase,” she said.
Ms. Thompson attributed this uptick to the contest being staged digitally, adding that “persons are now more accepting of the virtual environment.”
Guest speaker at the awards ceremony was media personality and author, Dr. Terri-Karelle Reid, who previously donated copies of her book, ‘My Brand Compass’, to the JLS.
She highlighted the importance of not just reading, but the ability of persons to appropriately express themselves, which are tenets of the competition.
This contest’s theme this year, ‘Reigniting a Nation to Read’, was inspired by the ‘Jamaica 60’ theme, ‘Reigniting a Nation for Greatness’.
To this end, works from celebrated Jamaican authors, such as Phillip Sherlock, C Everett Palmer, Dianne Brown, Easton Lee, Alecia McKenzie, and others, were included.
An expert panel of adjudicators, comprising six national judges and 78 parish-level judges, marshalled the contest.
Elements of the competition included letter writing, book reviews, crossword puzzles, and alternative story endings.
These activities determined the parish champions who received gift packages, books, cash awards and other prizes at the prizegiving ceremonies, held at their parish libraries islandwide between July and August. The national winners were determined from additional rounds of competition.
The National Reading Competition is sponsored by VM Foundation, Welcome to Jamrock Reggae Cruise, Television Jamaica, Sandals Foundation, GeoTech Vision, Carlong Publishers, CIBC
First Caribbean International Bank, Sun Island Jamaica, Facey Commodity, JN Money, Sangster’s Book Store, Kendel, Bob Marley Foundation, Honey Bun, Nestlé, LASCO, LMH Publishing, Cardiff Hotel and Spa, and the Library and Information Association of Jamaica (LIAJ).
The JLS is an agency of the Ministry of Education and Youth.