Macmillan Education Caribbean has unveiled the distinguished winners of its Language Tree New Branches: Poetry Competition, recognizing exceptional literary talent across the Caribbean region. The 2026 contest attracted substantial participation with 99 original submissions from 13 countries, demonstrating vibrant poetic expression throughout the educational community.
Participants competed across three distinct categories: Primary School Students, Lower Secondary School Students, and Teachers. The competition received 30 entries from primary students, 21 from lower secondary students, and an impressive 48 submissions from educators. Poetic works explored diverse themes including natural environments, culinary traditions, cultural festivals, marine life, and meteorological phenomena.
Julia Sander, the presiding competition judge, reported exceptionally high standards across all categories. The judging panel noted particular admiration for the creative imagination and linguistic artistry displayed throughout the submissions, which significantly complicated the final selection process.
In the Primary School division, Celine Rolle from St. Andrews Anglican School in Exuma, The Bahamas, claimed first honors with her composition ‘Let’s Make Tropical Conch Salad,’ a culinary-themed poem celebrated for its vibrant sensory language and rhythmic excellence. Bahamian student Bethany Barr secured second position, while third place recognition was jointly awarded to Antoinette Kissoon of Trinidad and Tobago and K’Ronjae Liburd from Nevis.
The Lower Secondary category crowned Shakeir Tafarie Thomas of Antigua Grammar School as champion for his emotionally resonant poem ‘Nature,’ which artfully contrasted natural beauty with environmental concerns while maintaining hopeful undertones. Second place was awarded to Denae Tehya Laelle Bontiff (Antigua and Barbuda), with third position going to Jamaica’s Adryanna Fowler.
Educator Sasha Maynard of Charles E. Mills Secondary School in St. Kitts and Nevis triumphed in the Teachers category with ‘Christmas in Saint Kitts,’ a festival-themed work acclaimed for its harmonious balance of religious significance and cultural celebration. Jamaican teacher Ambrosia Oladele earned second place, while Cheyenne K. V. Maynard from St. Kitts and Nevis received third place recognition.
All winning compositions have been memorialized in a special edition poetry publication produced by Macmillan Education, serving as an anthology of Caribbean creative writing excellence. The organization extended congratulations to all participants, emphasizing the competition’s primary objective of fostering literacy development, creative expression, and enduring appreciation for poetic arts throughout the Caribbean region.