Saturday 8 – Sunday 9 November @ The UTT Campus, SAPA, San Fernando.
A weekend of celebration and exploration…
The 2-day South festival opens at 10:30am on Saturday 8 November with a tribute to the life and work of San Fernando son, Samuel Selvon. To mark the 20th anniversary of his death, popular actors Errol Sitahal and David Sammy will dramatize excerpts from Selvon’s novels, while Prof Kenneth Ramchand will recall his own analysis of The Other Selvon.
In a rich programme that mirrors the Port of Spain NGC Bocas Lit Fest, two of the Caribbean’s finest writers – Jamaican poet Tanya Shirley and Barbadian sci-fi writer Karen Lord – will lead special writing workshops in their genres. Local writers, including Barbara Jenkins, Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw, Sharon Millar, Vashti Bowlah, Michael Cozier, K. Jared Hosein, Kumar Mahabir and Lisa Allen-Agostini, will read from their latest work.
Other festival participants will feature in panel discussions on diverse subjects, such as RSA Garcia on the rise of speculative (sci-fi/ fantasy) fiction, now one of the bestselling genres of our time, and on the experience of writing and publishing from home in Trinidad.
Life stories and memoirs will be part of the mix, with world traveler, Jan Westmaas, and the leader of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, Sat Maharaj, whose eponymous biography is just off the press. Historical researchers Angelo Bissessarsingh, Hazel Manning and Eric Lewis are also featured in readings and discussions.
The spotlight falls too on new and emerging talent in “Who’s Next?”, featuring writers Zahra Gordon, Ayanna Lloyd, Jannine Horsford and Kirk Budhooram. And, upcoming writers, of prose or poetry, can sign-up at the festival to read at the open forum “Stand & Deliver” on Sunday 9 November.
The 2 Cents poets – some of the country’s best spoken word artists – will perform, and Extempo artist Black Sage will entertain with his verse, as will singer-songwriter, Pauliana Padmore. Children of all ages can enjoy two full days of free, special and fun workshops with Lylah Persad and the mystic storyteller Auntie Thea that focus on matters of bullying and literacy. View the children’s programme here.
All events are free and open to the public. Only writing workshops cost $60 and require pre-registration. Click to view the full programme for Saturday 8 November and Sunday 9 November or contact the Bocas Lit Fest by email: [email protected] or telephone: 222-7099.