Xavienne Roma Richardson, a student in the Department of Literatures in English at The UWI, Mona has been named the winner of the inaugural Gloria Lyn Memorial prize. The US$500 award will be made annually to the student with the highest grade in any of the second year courses in West Indian literature offered at the Mona Campus.
 
The Gloria Lyn Memorial Fund aims to raise the visibility of literature at The UWI. It has been established by the family of the late Gloria Lyn, the daughter of a Chinese shopkeeper who went on to become a specialist lecturer in 17th Century English renaissance poetry at The UWI, Mona. The Fund aims to bring together a critical mass of thought leaders to raise the visibility of literature at The UWI, and to increase jobs and productivity in the region. In addition to the annual prize, the Fund will also mentor the prize winners and promote the whole value chain of studying literature.
 
Head of Department, Dr. Michael Bucknor, said "The Department of Literatures in English is delighted at this initiative to support the work of the department in developing our students' ability to think critically, to communicate effectively, and to be innovative and confident leaders of our society."