The Colin Robinson Hard Head Award
Additional Information
Inspired by the fearless ways in which Colin Robinson uses creative imagination to speak out against injustice, CAISO: Sex and Gender Justice launched the inaugural Colin Robinson Hard Head Award on July 29, 2020, at a joint Bocas Lit Fest/CAISO Sex & Gender Justice event, The Treachery in Every Poem, to celebrate the poetry of Colin Robinson.
The award seeks to recognize and honour exceptional leadership in transforming how others see and imagine the world, particularly in the spheres of Transformational Activism, Artistic Boldness and Meaningful Solidarity. The purpose of the annual Award is to support individuals working towards equity and justice for all, whose work – like Colin’s – connects political advocacy, creativity, and coalition building.
Named for Colin Robinson’s 2016 book of poems, You Have You Father Hard Head, the Award celebrates Caribbean understandings of the phrase, “Hard Head”, signifying persistence, stubbornness, relentlessness, and focus. These attributes, along with radicalism and resilience, are necessary for speaking out against power and how it is exercised, in the home, community, or by economic and political elites
The 2020 Hard Head Award
On the 21st November 2020, we held the inaugural Hard Head Award ceremony. Our panel of judges reviewed nominations of incredible individuals doing invaluable work in various fields before selecting this year's winner.