Lycée student Joy Edwards, 16, got the unique opportunity to attend the 1st International Congress of Caribbean Writers held in Guadeloupe last week. Nobel laureate author Derek Walcott was the "invited guest of honor." www.ecrivainsdelacaraibe.org. Miss Edward’s trip was a highlight of her winning the poetry translation contest (11/7), organized for high schools by the Collectivity of St. Martin. "By the Bayside" by Lasana M. Sekou was the winning poem translated from English to French by students for the St. Martin literature project — which had the enthusiastic support of Collectivity President Frantz Gumbs. In Guadeloupe Miss Edwards attended the opening ceremony of the congress (11/25) and the panel "Caribbean writing at the crossroad of languages" (11/26). Sekou was a guest speaker at both occasions. The St. Martin author introduced Miss Edwards to other invited guests such as Afua Cooper, author of The Hanging of Angélique, the bestselling Canadian book about the 1734 burning of Montreal, for which an enslaved woman was accused, tortured and hanged. The Region government of Guadeloupe organized the four-day congress and invited over 30 well-known authors and academics from the Caribbean region. In photo, L-R: Thierry Gombs, representing Youth, Sports and Cultural Affairs, Collectivity of St. Martin; family chaperon of Joy Edwards; Joy Edwards, student; and Lasana M. Sekou, author.