On Saturday 8 April 2017, at the Memorial ACTe, the 5th edition of the Caribbean Writers Congress ended with the awarding of the “Grand Prix Littéraire Région Guadeloupe” to Rita Indiana for her novel « La Mucama de Omicunlé»,published by Périférica.
Rita Indiana Hernández was born in Santo Domingo in 1977. A writer but also singer-songwriter, she started writing when she was quite young before developing a passion for music and reinventing the merengue. Her songs lyrics as well as her novels focus primarily on Caribbean social and ethical issues.
La Mucama de Omicunlé (Omicunle’s room maid) cautions the reader about the undeniable and inevitable destruction of our world and portrays a clear picture of what will happen if we do not stop the process of dehumanization and violence.
While this latest novel retains the Dominican rhythm that characterizes Rita Indiana, especially through geography, history and linguistic codes, it is also deeply Caribbean and Latin American.
“Le Grand Prix Littéraire Région Guadeloupe” is intended to honor and reward a literary work published in the previous three years in French, English or Spanish. It is awarded by the members of an international jury composed of major literary figures and writers from the Caribbean.
For this 5th Edition, 4 four nominees were competing for the Award :
- Olive Sénior, «The Pain Tree», (Jamaica), editions Cormorant books
- Antony Phelps, «Je veille incorrigible féticheur» (Haiti), editions Bruno Doucey,
- Roland Brival, «Nègre de personne» (Martinique), editions Gallimard and
- Rita Indiana, «La Mucama de Omicunlé» (République Dominicaine), editions Périférica
The international jury members were : Andrès Bansart (Venezuela), Earl Lovelace President de Caribbean Writers Association (Trinidad & Tobago), Camila Valdés (Cuba), Patricia Donatien (Martinique), a member of the jury for the French linguistic area: Lyonel Trouillot; a member of the jury for the English area: Prof. Funso Aiyejina and a member of the jury for the Spanish area : Ariel Camejo.
The Congress aims to contribute to the cultural development of Guadeloupean and Caribbean citizens as a whole.
This “Region Guadeloupe’s Geat Literary Award”, initiated by the Association of Writers of the Caribbean has therefore decided, this year, to honor the Dominican Republic and a new generation of writers.