Saint Lucia’s emerging literary talents took center stage at the 2025 SLUDTERA Literary Arts Awards ceremony held this Wednesday. The event specifically honored eleven distinguished secondary school students who demonstrated exceptional prowess in both the Songtry Literary Excellence Awards and the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition.
Denney Estava from Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary School emerged as the standout performer, securing the prestigious Songtry Youth of the Year overall award. The multi-talented student additionally claimed top honors in three distinct categories: Visual Arts, Global Crisis, and Poetry.
“This recognition feels incredibly rewarding—I genuinely didn’t anticipate winning,” Estava expressed during his acceptance address. “My approach has simply been to engage actively in available opportunities like the Commonwealth essay and Songtry competitions, recognizing their potential to create transformative pathways for young individuals.”
The awards ceremony highlighted diverse creative disciplines with category-specific achievements. Entrepot Secondary School’s Katalia Felix and St Joseph’s Convent’s Amalia Victor received Global Crisis awards for visual artworks depicting youth responses to contemporary challenges.
Literary Arts category accolades were awarded to Merkisha Justin, Samuella Bertrand, Latoya Jadel Murray, and Iyana Aaliyah Paul for their exemplary creative writing compositions. Nathaniel Charles earned recognition in Visual Arts for demonstrating extraordinary creativity and originality.
The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition national honors featured St Joseph’s Convent’s Melanie Alcee and Denney Estava in the under-14 division, while Iyana Aaliyah Paul (Sir Arthur Lewis Community College) and Phaedra Auguste (LHCSS) triumphed in the 14-18 category. Merkisha Justin and Malachai Bondiemaitre received bronze medals, with Samuella Bertrand achieving gold medal distinction.
SLUDTERA, the organizing body behind both award programs, continues its mission to foster youth engagement with literary arts. The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition international winners were formally announced on November 6, 2025, with this national ceremony reinforcing Saint Lucia’s commitment to nurturing young literary talent.