17-year-old Samara Dolabaille has won the GCCA+ Bocas Ways of Sunlight Youth Writing Competition.

The competition was administered by the Bocas Lit Fest in partnership with the EU-funded Global Climate Change Alliance+.

Involving authors aged 12 to 18, it celebrated the centenary of T&T writer Sam Selvon, taking its name from one of the late author’s best-loved books.

Dolabaille, a student of Providence Girls’ Catholic School, won for her essay titled “Who Are You?”, exploring questions of identity and equality in T&T.

The competition’s second-place winner is 17-year-old Jada-Marie Giles of Arouca, with an essay titled “Trinbagonian Culture” while 17-year-old Rebekkah Murray of Carnbee, Tobago, placed third, with “Next Flight Out of Trinidad and Tobago”.

Judges also singled out 12-year-old Siddiq Ameeral for special mention.