Dominican writer Sherdina Antoine has taken first place in the 2026 CCCCC Youth Short Story Competition with her story «Weathering Us», emerging ahead of 172 other entries from across the Caribbean.
The 22-year-old was selected from a field of 173 submissions by young writers representing territories throughout the region. The competition, organised by the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, invites young Caribbean voices to explore climate themes through fiction.
Antoine's winning story, «Weathering Us», was chosen as the top entry in a competition that drew participation from across the Caribbean. The result places a Dominican writer at the centre of a regional literary initiative focused on climate change, a subject of particular resonance for the Nature Isle.
For Dominica, the recognition carries added weight. The island has been repeatedly tested by extreme weather, including Hurricane Maria in 2017, and climate resilience is a lived reality for communities from Roseau to Portsmouth and the Kalinago Territory. A young Dominican writer addressing climate through fiction speaks directly to that experience.
The CCCCC Youth Short Story Competition is run by the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, the regional institution based in Belize that coordinates the Caribbean's response to climate change. The competition forms part of the centre's wider effort to engage young people across CARICOM member states in the climate conversation.
Antoine, at 22, represents a generation of Caribbean writers using storytelling to examine how climate change shapes daily life, culture and identity. Her success in a field of 173 entries from across the region highlights both the strength of Dominican creative writing and the appetite among young Caribbean people to address environmental themes.
The competition drew submissions from young writers representing multiple Caribbean territories, reflecting the regional scope of the initiative. Winning first place places Antoine at the forefront of that cohort.
Dominica's cultural sector has long drawn on the island's natural environment for inspiration, from its Creole traditions to its contemporary literary output. Antoine's achievement adds to that tradition and brings regional attention to a Dominican voice.
The Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre has not yet announced details of the award ceremony or publication plans for the winning story. Further information on «Weathering Us» and the competition results is expected from the organisers.
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