Queen’s Honours List 2007 Released
Zee Edgell named M.B.E
The Queen’s Honours List for 2007 includes Zee Edgell, named Member of the British Empire. The M.B.E. is part of the British order of chivalry called The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. King George V established the Order in 1917, building upon a centuries-long tradition of honoring persons who made outstanding contributions to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.
The UK honours system is used to reward people for merit, service or bravery. Honours are normally awarded twice a year. A list is published on The Queen's Birthday in June and at the New Year. The British honours system is one of the oldest in the world. It has evolved over 650 years as the country has found alternative means of recognizing merit, gallantry and service.
For more on the UK honours system:
Please direct invitations, media inquiries and Web site comments/questions to: Holly Edgell at 573/356-5572 or timeandtheriver@gmail.com
LAURA TUCKER-LONGSWORTH ACCEPTS SISTER OF MERCY AWARD ON BEHALF OF ZEE EDGELL
St. Catherine Academy -- Belize City, Belize
Award Ceremony
Bliss Center for the Performing Arts
Sisters of Mercy Jubilee Celebration: 125 years of Service to Belize
January 24, 2008
I am honored to have been asked to accept this award (The Sister Catherine McCauley Award) for my sister Zee, whom I love deeply for all that she is. This award also honors my deceased father Clive and my ailing mother, Veronica who sacrificed to educate their five daughters at Saint Catherine Academy.
Whenever Zee is asked to comment on reasons for her success as writer, she never fails to begin with her earliest memories of the Sisters of Mercy as well as the talent of our mother who wrote poems and was an avid reader.
¬ Zee gives credit to Sister Andretta who she encountered at the Holy Redeemer School. She recalls that when she was about 12 years old, she had written an essay entitled My Greatest Ambition in which she described her dream of becoming a writer. Sister Andretta had her read the essay to the class.
¬ Later on, while attending St. Catherine Academy she had another wonderful experience with Sister Michaela who recognized her writing talents. Sister Michaela encouraged her to enter an essay competition which was being held around 1956 or 1957 to celebrate the anniversary of the arrival of the Sisters of Mercy in Belize. Her mother helped to find persons who could give her information. She won the essay and recalls that she felt like a celebrity when she had the special privilege of reading her essay on the radio!
Zee’s work is applauded and recognized internationally. She travels to various Universities in the United States to talk about her work and her books. When I asked her why people all over the world are interested in her work, she could not offer a definitive response. But she believes they are interested for several reasons:
¬ Her novels give a background of Belize
¬ People like the idea that she writes about the struggle of women
¬ Her novels are historically correct although they are fictionalized.
¬ People in the Caribbean identify with BEKA Lamb because the experiences of Belize during the birth of the nationalist movement are similar to the earlier struggles of other Caribbean countries.
I am pleased to report that BEKA Lamb is now in the second edition series and two sets have been released: one set with a book guide to be used by students and the other for regular readers. BEKA Lamb will again be on the Caribbean Examination Council Exams book list from 2009 -2011.
Zee is an Ambassador for Belize. Recently, (November, 2007), she was invited by the Belize High Commission in London to make a presentation at a Forum on Central America. She presented a paper entitled BELIZE: A LITERARY PERSPECTIVE.
On behalf of Zee, her husband Alvin, her daughter Holly-a journalist, and her son Dr. Randall Edgell-a neurologist, and the rest of our family, I thank you for the honor you have bestowed on her.
Remarks presented by: Laura Tucker-Longsworth
Zee meets Belizean UWI graduate Ordette Wade. Laura Longswoth introducing.