National Library Service Launches “Patriotic Pen: Timothy Callender Memorial Short Story Competition”

The National Library Service (NLS) has announced the launch of a new national writing competition titled “The Patriotic Pen: Timothy Callender Memorial Short Story Competition.” The initiative commemorates the life and legacy of renowned Barbadian writer and artist Timothy Callender, marking the 80th anniversary of his birth on March 7, 1946.
The competition invites Barbadian writers to submit original short stories that capture the richness, humour and complexity of Barbadian life, reflecting the spirit of Callender’s widely loved storytelling.
Timothy Callender was a prolific creative talent whose work spanned several disciplines. By the time of his passing at age 43 on October 12, 1989, he had established himself as a novelist, short story writer, essayist, comic book writer, visual artist and musician.
He is best known for his short story collection It So Happen and Other Tales, written in both Standard English and Barbadian nation language. The work is regarded as an important part of Barbados’ literary and oral storytelling heritage.
Callender’s witty and colourful stories also became household favourites through radio readings on CBC Radio and Rediffusion, performed by distinguished actors Frank Collymore and Alfred Pragnell.
Competition Details

“The Patriotic Pen” competition calls for unpublished, original short stories of up to 2,500 words that place Barbados its people, places, language, traditions and contemporary realities at the centre of the narrative.
Stories may be written in:
Standard English
Barbadian nation language
A blend of both
The language used should serve the story and be understandable to a general adult audience.
Entries must not contain explicit sexual content, profanity or hate speech. All submissions must also be written without the assistance of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
Eligibility

The competition is open to:
Barbadian citizens
Legal residents of Barbados
Persons aged 18 years and over
Judging and Prizes

A panel of literary and broadcasting professionals will evaluate submissions based on the following criteria:
Creativity
Structure
Language use
Cultural authenticity
Prizes will be awarded as follows:
First Prize: $3,500
Second Prize: $2,500
Third Prize: $1,500
Shortlisted stories will be announced on the National Library Service website, its social media platforms, and via Radio Bimshire.
Selected works may also be considered for publication in a future anthology of contemporary Barbadian writing.
Submission Guidelines

Entries must be submitted no later than 4:30 p.m. on Friday, June 26, 2026.
Submissions should be sent by email to:
john.downes@nls.gov.bb
lamar.nicholls@nls.gov.bb
The subject line must read:
“Patriotic Pen – Timothy Callender Memorial Short Story Competition 2026.”
Stories should be submitted as Word or PDF documents, typed and double spaced.
The author’s name must not appear on the story file. Author details including name, contact information, story title and word count must appear only on a separate cover page.
Additional Information

Full entry details are available at library.gov.bb and on the National Library Service’s social media pages:
Facebook: Barbados National Library Service
Instagram: @Nlsbarbados