Pastor Vanrick Beresford with a few of the participants and the books with which they were presented. (Photo by Vanessa Narine)

For poetry lovers and language enthusiasts the National Library’s Conference Room was on cloud nine last Friday as 14 aspiring poets were afforded an opportunity to regale the gathering present with their poetic endeavours.

Maranatha Ministries International for the second time (the first being during CARIFESTA X in 2008) coordinated the poetry awards ceremony.

Asserting that all the participants were winners, Mr. Vanrick Beresford, Pastor with Maranatha Ministries International, said, “This is not a competition, which is why we call it an awards ceremony; rather it is a platform from which aspiring authors can be propelled.”

The initiative, Dynamic Poetry Awards Ceremony, invited writers between the ages of 13 to 30 to recite their original poems.

The performances were judged by Ms. Lydia Beresford, Mrs. Michelle Brummel and Mr. Royston Duncan.

The poets each recited one of their poems for the judges and 10 of the 14 proceeded to the second round, where they recited another of their poems.

From here seven were chosen for the final round which would be held tomorrow at Maranatha Ministries International, 252 Quamina Street, Georgetown.

In keeping with Beresford’s statement that all the participants were winners, they were each presented with a copy of the Pastor’s book, ‘The Lame Take Prey’.

The poems shared varied from issues on pollution to those of hope for a better future, and all told a story.

According to Beresford forays like these are necessary to encourage and promote local talent.

However, apart from the contestants, the Pastor shared some of his pieces with the gathering and also invited established poets to render recitals of their own work.

Beresford expressed his appreciation to Laparkan Group of Companies and other sponsors who assisted in the initiative.