INSPIRING OUR COLLECTIVE IMAGINATION

08/01/2024

By DD Medias

Saint Lucia’s Nobel Laureate Festival has been launched, unveiling the 2024 theme: Celebrating Excellence: Inspiring our collective imagination; fostering national pride. The island’s two Nobel Laureates, (who coincidentally share the same birthday, January 23), Sir William Arthur Lewis, (Economics, 1979) and Sir Derek Alton Walcott, (Literature, 1992) are honored with numerous events held islandwide.

Chair of the Nobel Laureate Festival Committee, H.E. Dame Pearlette Louisy, Governor General Emerita, issued a challenge at the launch on 4 January 2024, as she explained the chosen theme, “Celebrating Excellence:
Inspiring our collective imagination; Fostering national pride.” “We invite everyone to take some time during the Festival to fully appreciate the import and the impact of the achievements and contributions, not only of
our two Nobel Laureates, but of all our distinguished and aspiring nationals at home and abroad, and the many ways these have shaped the world we live in today.” Her Excellency went on to encourage awareness of the Festival,: “we
cannot all assemble in one physical space to celebrate, but we can use the virtual world to do so.”

The Festival takes place in various venues around Saint Lucia. Familiar events return: The Sir Derek Walcott Memorial Lecture, “What the Twilight Keeps Saying: Following the Gaze of Derek Walcott”, to be delivered by Dr Travis Weekes, Poet, Playwright and currently Theatre Arts Lecturer at the University of the West Indies (Tuesday 23 January). The Sir Arthur Lewis Memorial Lecture, “Navigating the Future. Applying the Teachings of Sir William Arthur Lewis to Saint Lucia’s 21st Century Development Challenge” will be delivered by Dr James Fletcher, Managing Director of his Company Soloricon Ltd, (Thursday 25 January). Both Lectures begin at 7:30pm at the Finance Administrative Centre, Pointe Seraphine, Castries.

Other Events planned include:
A Travelling Exhibition highlighting the lives of the Nobel Laureates
presented by The National Archives Authority of Saint Lucia;
Painting People in a Village Setting in Laborie (Free transportation from Castries has been arranged);
The 2023 Queens Commonwealth Essay Competition Awards Ceremony;
The Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Nobel Laureates’ Burial Sites;
St Mary’s College’s Tribute to the Laureates; A theatrical production, “The Walking Tree”
An open-air spoken word soirée dubbed “An ti Pawòl Kwéyòl;

The National Awards of Excellence and the Schools’ Choir Competition
presented by the Ministry of Education:
The Patricia Ismond Literary Workshop organized by the UWI Global
Campus, Saint Lucia;
Celebrating Excellence videos aired on Calabash TV;
An exhibition of photographs by Saint Lucian Chester Williams;

The launch of “Ikons”, a book of new and selected poems by Robert Lee in celebration of the Folk Research Centre’s 50th. anniversary. The Sir Arthur Lewis Community College will be hosting several events including a Students’ Debate and an SALCC Day of Excellence. The Babonneau Constituency Council will present an evening of
entertainment highlighting the literary, artistic and cultural achievements of the Babonneau Community, while the Soufriere Development Foundation will be hosting an event in which students from the community will showcase
the work of our Laureates. The Nobel Laureate Festival Committee thanks the Government of Saint Lucia, the Bank of Saint Lucia, the Laborie Co-operative Credit Union,

FLOW, the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, Sagicor, and all Event Co- ordinators for their continued support.

All information, dates and locations can be found in event programmes on
Facebook page, @nobellaureatefestivalsaintlucia, requesting by text: (758)
284 2111 or email: [email protected]
We ask the public to “like” the Facebook page and share all pictures and
comments.