The National Cultural Foundation (NCF) has partnered with an award-winning author to deliver a first for the National Independence Festival of Creative Arts (NIFCA).
The NCF, through its Literary Arts Desk, has published Rifling about Survival among the Bearded Fig Trees of Ichirouganaim; a collection of award-winning poems written by Dr. Elizabeth Best, which is available for download on Kindle.
The eBook has been released in the American market as part of the NIFCA competition. This major project is key for the Foundation and Dr. Best as NIFCA continues to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
Dr. Best, who was the recipient of the NIFCA 2022 Unpublished Manuscript Award, received invaluable assistance from the NCF, which included professional editing of her work, graphics design, and layout of the completed text in eBook format.
The local author was also assisted by an industry professional, who provided critical assistance and guidance as it relates to selling literature on the Amazon platform.
The collection of poems, which tracks the history of the Caribbean, is told from the perspective of a Barbadian woman. This is not the first time that the NCF has published her work, as she is a multi-award winning poet.
Cultural Officer in the Literary Arts, Karra Price, said the NCF was pleased to partner with Dr. Best on such a historic venture.
“Assisting artists with their professional development is part of the remit of the Foundation. In addition to providing training opportunities, and sponsorship for budding literary artists, the NCF is focused on creating business opportunities for artists, as well as developing the orange economy in Barbados.”
Ms. Price has encouraged Barbadians to support this initiative by purchasing a digital copy of the book on Kindle, adding that it is competitively priced.