BELIZE CITY, Tues. Apr. 28, 2020– Belize City’s Kory Leslie has become the third Belizean writer to capture the Copal Distillery Writer-in-Residence Fellowship, valued at almost $5,000. The two other winners are Belmopan-based writers Ix-Chel Poot, who received the fellowship last year, and Ivor Kelly, who received the fellowship in 2018.
“The Copal Distillery Fellowship is funded by a generous donation from the Copal Distillery Foundation. Working together, Copal Distillery and Joey Garcia, the Belize Writers’ Conference founder, have established the first and only literary fellowship for a Belizean writer in Belize’s history. This is the third year of the fellowship,” said the press release which yesterday announced this year’s winner.
At 25, Leslie is a busy young professional who heads his own writing company and writes as a freelance reporter for Amandala in addition to his regular job in the Belize City Council Public Relations Department. Last year Leslie won the Ministry of Education Youth in Journalism award.
”Mr. Leslie will spend five days learning from literary agents, authors, and other writers at the only professional development event for creative writers in Belize, a $4,700 BZD value that includes lodging and meals. The conference convenes November 4 – 9 at Jaguar Reef Resort in Hopkins. Afternoon workshops are open to the public for $30 BZD per session,” the press release said.
In a telephone interview Leslie told us that he found out about the fellowship on social media and that the fellowship is awarded to one Belizean writer each year, and about 30 writers from around the Americas attend the writing workshop.
Leslie said that in order for him to have been selected, he submitted a body of works which was accepted.
“I submitted 5 of my Amandala articles, an essay and one chapter from a novel that I am working on,” Leslie said.
”As a freelance reporter and a young person, how does winning this fellowship make you feel?” we asked.
“I feel very proud, because to me, writing is not something that is very well traversed in Belize. People don’t really pursue careers in writing, especially creative writing. So this opportunity means a great deal to me,” he said.
Leslie added, “I do like the freelance writing, and I know that I would have to do other jobs to maintain myself, but I do like the freedom that comes with freelancing.”
Leslie explained, “As a young person, I studied literature, and a lot of people tell you that you can’t do much with that, except if you want to go on to study law. To know that in this day and age we are getting recognition for being good writers, that is something that I am very proud of for the country.”
Leslie said that the Belize Writers Conference will have some literary agents who will look at his work and he is hoping to get a foot in the door of the literary world.
Joey Garcia, a Belizean-American, is the founder and executive director of Belize Writers Conference.
Feature photo: Kory Leslie