Providing support for writers was a role that Frank Collymore performed in his own time single-handedly, driven only by his love of the arts, and his belief in the literary potential of the region at a time when literature still meant the English classics.  It is a measure of his inspiring example that no less an institution than the Central Bank of Barbados should choose to put its weight behind the project he began over half a century ago.  Both the literary Endowment and the Frank Collymore Hall, as a venue for distinguished public speakers and cultural events, testify to the importance that the Bank attaches to Collymore's legacy and to the arts in general.

Aims of the Endowment

The Frank Collymore Literary Endowment has been established to assist in promoting the literary arts in Barbados.

A Committee exists to identify what contribution the Endowment can most usefully make to the literary life of the island, to administer the annual Frank Collymore Literary Award and to read and judge the entries.  The Committee consists of individuals in fields ranging from education to entertainment to journalism, and includes practising writers and literary critics.  They have been selected not only on the basis of their commitment to the ideals set by Collymore, but also for their ability to look forward and to respond to a changing social climate. The Committee recognises that writing is one of the most important ways in which a people represents itself, to itself and to the world at large.  In time, the writing being produced now may come to be seen as significant as that of the pre-independence era.  The Committee sees assisting in the emergence of a new generation of writers for the 21st century as an essential aspect of its role.