2016 Events

Animation / 2008 / 20 min / El Salvador Director: Ricardo Barahona A cartoon adaptation of Salvador Salazar Arrué’s (Salarrrué) regular short stories in the newspaper Patria in the late... Read More

Drama / 2012 / 81 min / Chile Director: Marcelo Ferrari Starring: Blanca Lewin, Marcelo Alonso, Alejandro Goic María Luisa Bombal, one of Chile’s most important writers, struggled to reconcile... Read More

Documentary / 2015 / 90 min / Colombia Director: Justin Webster Screenwriter: Justin Webster, Kate Horne Includes: Juan Gabriel Vásquez, Jaime García Márquez, César Gaviria, Bill Clinton How did a... Read More

Drama / 2010 / 120 min / Cuba Director/Screenwriter: Fernando Pérez Starring: Damián Antonio Rodríguez Vidal, Daniel Romero Bildaín, Rolando Brito José Martí, writer, politician, and most revered Cuban national... Read More

Animation / 2013 / 86 min / Argentina Director/Screenwriter: Julio Ludueña Starring: Stella Maris Closas, Cristina Tejedor, Aldo Pastur In this adaptation of Julio Cortázar’s work, fantastic tales are brought... Read More

Drama / 2004 / 82 min / Guatemala Director: Carlos García Agraz Screenwriter: Reynaldo Leon Starring: Giacomo Buonafina, Andrea Rivera, Herbert Ignacio A doctor goes to work in a country... Read More

Comedy/Drama / 1999 / 144 min / Peru/Spain Director: Francisco Lombardi Starring: Salvador del Solar, Angie Cepeda, Mónica Sánchez, Pilar Bardem, Gianfranco Brero The Peruvian army captain Pantaleón Pantoja, a... Read More

Animation / 2008 / 20 min / El Salvador Director: Ricardo Barahona A cartoon adaptation of Salvador Salazar Arrué’s (Salarrrué) regular short stories in the newspaper Patria in the late... Read More

Drama / 2004 / 82 min / Guatemala Director: Carlos García Agraz Screenwriter: Reynaldo Leon Starring: Giacomo Buonafina, Andrea Rivera, Herbert Ignacio A doctor goes to work in a country... Read More

Drama / 2010 / 116 min / Dominican Republic Director/Screenwriter: Juan Delancer Starring: Michelle Rodríguez, Juan Fernández, César Evora. A true story of how Minerva Mirabal and her sisters came... Read More

Documentary / 2006 / 27 min / Panama Director: Austreberta Torres de Navarro The Panamanian poet Demetrio Korsi was known as “el poeta del Arrabal” after his birthplace. Korsi represents... Read More

Docu-Drama / 2014 / 100 min / Chile Director/Screenwriter: Manuel Basoalto Starring: José Secall, Paulina Harrington, Max Corvalán Pablo Neruda’s speech “I accuse” against President Gabriel Gonzalez Videla, made the... Read More

Drama / 2009 / 103 min / Colombia/Costa Rica Rating: PG13 Director/Screenwriter: Hilda Hidalgo Starring: Pablo Derqui, Eliza Triana, Jordi Dauder, Joaquín Climent When the young Sierva María is bitten... Read More

This workshop is now full. Fill in the registration form below to join the waiting list.  An in-depth exploration of the popular crime fiction genre, offering insight into creating suspenseful plots and... Read More

This workshop is now full. Fill in the registration form below to join the waiting list.  A hands-on session in which participants will learn how to produce their own simple book structures... Read More

Featuring some of T&T’s best young spoken word poet and musicians. Bookmark

A series of free seminars for budding and self-published writers on key areas of the book business, led by publishing experts: Don’t sell yourself short: marketing and promotion for authors,... Read More

Documentary / 2015 / 90 min / Colombia Director: Justin Webster Screenwriter: Justin Webster, Kate Horne Includes: Juan Gabriel Vásquez, Jaime García Márquez, César Gaviria, Bill Clinton How did a... Read More

To commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Queen’s Park Cricket Club, a panel of players and expert observers debate the importance of the game to the Caribbean’s past and present,... Read More

Drama / 2010 / 120 min / Cuba Director/Screenwriter: Fernando Pérez Starring: Damián Antonio Rodríguez Vidal, Daniel Romero Bildaín, Rolando Brito José Martí, writer, politician, and most revered Cuban national... Read More

60 years ago, his classic song “Jean and Dinah” won the Mighty Sparrow his first Calypso Monarch and Road March titles. We celebrate the anniversary of this milestone through readings,... Read More

60 years ago, his classic song “Jean and Dinah” won the Mighty Sparrow his first Calypso Monarch and Road March titles. We celebrate the anniversary of this milestone through readings,... Read More

This workshop is now full. Fill in the registration form below to join the waiting list. Advice on the long-term preservation of treasured books, documents, and other paper-based objects, with the NALIS Library Conservator... Read More

It’s sometimes called T&T’s national artform, but has calypso’s time passed? Does survival mean a return to roots, or reinvention? Calypsonians Kurt Allen and Kizzy Ruiz, scholar Gordon Rohlehr, and producer... Read More

It’s a canonical work of “writing back” to literary tradition, and a popular classic tackling hard questions about history and race. Claire Armistead, Sharon Millar, Polly Patullo and Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw... Read More

It’s a canonical work of “writing back” to literary tradition, and a popular classic tackling hard questions about history and race. Writers and scholars read from and discuss the enduring... Read More

Featuring some of T&T’s best young spoken word poet and musicians – free and open to all! Bookmark

Documentary / 2005 / 25 min / Canada/T&T Director: Frances-Anne Solomon We travel with Alexis from his birthplace in Trinidad, to Ottawa where he spent his childhood, and finally to... Read More

Our open mic for writers of prose and poetry. With featured readings by Anna Levi, author of Madinah Girl; poet and artist Sarah Beckett; 2016 Commonwealth Short Story Prize shortlistee Lance Dowrich;... Read More

Documentary / 2006 / 47 min / Canada/T&T Director: Frances-Anne Solomon Celebrated Indo-Caribbean author Ramabai Espinet sits down in conversation with playwright and friend Tony Hall. The two reflect on... Read More

The South Africa-born writer talks about her career grappling with questions of justice and violence in her novels and memoirs. Bookmark

Drama/ 1984 / 35 min / Costa Rica Director: Juan Bautista Castro Starring: Fabián Dobles Based on the stories El detalle and Mamita Maura from his book Historias de Tata... Read More

This workshop is now full. Fill in the registration form below to join the waiting list. Landscape and place are powerful tools in the writer’s toolbox. Understanding the mechanisms of managing place... Read More

A tour of the historic National Library of Port of Spain, with Debbie Goodman, Corporate Communications. Sign up at the NALIS booth, Library atrium (ground floor), and assemble in the... Read More

The author of the T.S. Eliot Prize–shortlisted Measures of Expatriation traces her devious route through the landscapes of language, in conversation with Anu Lakhan. Bookmark

Drama / 1988 / 113 min / UK/Zimbabwe Director: Chris Menges Starring: Barbara Hershey, David Suchet, Jeroen Krabbé Gillian Slovo introduces this 1988 dramatic feature based on the lives of... Read More

Hannah Lowe and Paula Madison Williams read from and discuss their family memoirs, tracing ancestral routes from Jamaica back to China; chaired by Tracy Assing. Bookmark

The Pakistani-British writer talks to Shivanee Ramlochan about writing across national, cultural, and historical borders. Bookmark

Documentary / 2014 / 88 min / Jamaica Director/Screenwriter: Jeanette Kong. Author Paula Madison Williams introduces her documentary tracing her family roots from Jamaica back to China. Bookmark

Ramabai Espinet, author of The Swinging Bridge, and Garfield Ellis, author of The Angels’ Share, read from their novels exploring the complications of family across generations; chaired by Ibrahim Ahmad.... Read More

Ramabai Espinet, author of The Swinging Bridge, and Garfield Ellis, author of The Angels’ Share, read from their novels exploring the complications of family across generations. Bookmark

Drama/ 1984 / 35 min / Costa Rica Director: Juan Bautista Castro Starring: Fabián Dobles Based on the stories El detalle and Mamita Maura from his book Historias de Tata... Read More

Drama/Romance / 1992 /113 min / Mexico Rating: R (18 years and over) Director: Alfonso Arau Screenwriter: Laura Esquivel Starring: Marco Leonardi, Lumi Cavazos, Regina Torné The young Tita is... Read More

Peekash presents: the launch of New Worlds, Old Ways: Speculative Tales from the Caribbean. Presented in partnership with Peekash. Featuring Karen Lord, Ararimeh Aiyejina, Summer Edward, Kevin Jared Hosein, Brandon... Read More

St Lucian John Robert Lee, author of City Remembrances, and Bahamian Sonia Farmer read from their poems about the lives and times of small islands. Bookmark

T&T’s beloved storyteller talks to Miguel Browne about a lifetime of making people laugh while tackling serious concerns. Bookmark

This workshop is now full. Fill in the registration form below to join the waiting list. What makes a great story great? Why do we read some books in a single night... Read More

A new anthology of Trinidadian short fiction makes its debut. Featuring Ian F. Ali, June Aming, Ty N. Batson, Stephen Brown, Elspeth Duncan, Jeanne Mason, Betty Peter, Carolyn S. Seereeram-Harnanan,... Read More

Action/Drama / 2010 / 100 min / Venezuela Director/Screenwriter: Luis Alberto Lamata Starring: Juvel Vielma, Daniela Alvarado, Gledys Ibarra José Tomás Boves was a cruel man who became a legend... Read More

Authors Jacob Ross and Gillian Royes read from and discuss their distinctly Caribbean versions of detective fiction; chaired by Barbara Jenkins. Bookmark

Run for cover! It’s a Midnight Robber duel, as masters of the traditional Carnival masquerade trade their spine-tingling robber talk. With Sterling Kent, a.k.a Gamma Ghost, and Damian Whiskey, 2016... Read More

Featuring some of T&T’s best young spoken word poet and musicians – free and open to all! Bookmark

Olive Senior, author of The Pain Tree, and Anton Nimblett, author of Sections of an Orange, discuss writing fictions of past homelands from the vantage point of a new country;... Read More

What happens when literary authors enter the political fray? The lives and times of Phyllis Shand Allfrey, Martin Carter, and Aimé Césaire, as told by Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert, Gemma Robinson, and... Read More

What are the wages of sin? The wandering Bookman, Sylvan Joseph, with his book of the damned will tell you how the bill gets settled Bookmark

This workshop is now full. Fill in the registration form below to join the waiting list. A special two-part masterclass with the winner of the 2015 Man Booker Prize, looking beyond basic... Read More

Tour of the historic National Library of Port of Spain, led by Debbie Goodman, Manager, Corporate Communications. Assemble in the Library Rotunda. Bookmark

Documentary / 2006 / 27 min / Panama Director: Austreberta Torres de Navarro The Panamanian poet Demetrio Korsi was known as “el poeta del Arrabal” after his birthplace. Korsi represents... Read More

Hannah Lowe, author of Chan, and Karen McCarthy Woolf, author of A Small Aviary of Birds, read their poems winging through family history and the shape-shifting journeys of art; chaired... Read More

Documentary / 1977 / 70 min / Guyana Director: Rupert Roopnaraine This lyrical documentary tells the history of colonialism in British Guyana during the 1950s through the poems of Martin... Read More

Gerard Besson, author of the novel Roume: A Memoir, and Desha Osborne, editor of Horatio Nelson Huggins’s epic poem Hiroona, discuss literature’s ability to bring history to life; chaired by... Read More

The Trinidad-born former Poet Laureate of Toronto talks to Shivanee Ramlochan about her life in literature across genres, from poetry to fiction to memoir. Bookmark

Drama/Romance / 1959 / 100 min / Brazil/France/Italy Director: Marcel Camus Screenwriters: Marcel Camus, Jacques Viot Starring: Breno Mello, Marpessa Dawn, Lourdes de Oliveira Black Orpheus brings the ancient Greek... Read More

The winners of the third annual Burt Award for Caribbean Literature — recognising books written for young adult readers — are announced. By invitation only. The Burt Award is sponsored... Read More

Drama / 1967 / 110 min / Mexico Director: Carlos Velo Screenwriters: Carlos Fuentes, Carlos Velo, Manuel Barbachano Ponce Starring: John Gavin, Ignacio López Tarso, Pilar Pellicer A highly symbolic... Read More

Make way for Mr. Shakespeare… In Shakespeare’s quatercentenary year, T&T’s writers and musicians bring us news from one of the English language’s greatest writers. With an extempo duel between Gypsy... Read More

As our society evolves, are our laws and judicial systems keeping up? Who’s leading the way in current debates on human rights, and who’s lagging behind? Attorney Lynette Seebaran-Suite, activist... Read More

Karen Lord and Daniel José Older read from their books and explain why speculative fiction is more politically relevant than ever; chaired by Lisa Allen-Agostini. Bookmark

This workshop is now full. Fill in the registration form below to join the waiting list. The literary editor of the UK Guardian leads a high-level seminar on book reviewing, covering the... Read More

Reginald Dwayne Betts, author of Bastards of the Reagan Era, and Rowan Ricardo Phillips, author of Heaven, read their works and discuss the state of contemporary American poetry; chaired by... Read More

Drama / 2012 / 81 min / Chile Director: Marcelo Ferrari Rating: 14 years and over Starring: Blanca Lewin, Marcelo Alonso, Alejandro Goic María Luisa Bombal, one of Chile’s most... Read More

Black Indians, traditional masquerade characters of Trinidad Carnival, are known for their fierce costumes and war-like songs, composed in a secret language known only to initiates. Anderson Patrick and Darlington... Read More

Three finalists of the CODE’s 2016 Burt Award read from and discuss their work with Alscess Lewis-Brown. Bookmark

Andrew J. Fitt discusses his memoir, Aching to Be, about life with cerebral palsy with Nickolai Salcedo. Bookmark

The Guyana-born author reveals how history and Amerindian myth inform her compelling fictions, in conversation with Vanda Radzic. Bookmark

This workshop is now full. Fill in the registration form below to join the waiting list. A “translingual” workshop crossing language boundaries, including elements of translation, improvisation, and writing poems across many... Read More

The 2015 Man Booker Prize winner discusses the power of stories, the pitfalls of fame, and the motivations of music with Marina Salandy-Brown. Bookmark

The future of publishing, and literature itself, depends on creating a new generation of readers. Marsha Gomes-McKie, Julie Morton, and Summer Edward discuss key issues in Caribbean children’s publishing; chaired by... Read More

Jacqueline Bishop and Tishani Doshi read from their restless, far-ranging poems; chaired by Rose-Ann Walker. Bookmark

In the year of his 95th birthday, Pauline Melville, Riyad Insanally, and Vanda Radzik read from his spellbinding prose, while Gordon Rohlehr, Kenneth Ramchand, Jeremy Poynting, and Gemma Robinson discuss... Read More

Feature speaker Michelene Adams discusses the intersections of creative writing and literary scholarship, followed by readings from Writers’ Union members. Bookmark

More than three decades after his death, the poems of Victor Questel — a major creative voice in 1970s T&T — are finally brought to print. Publisher Jeremy Poynting, scholar... Read More

200 years ago, the Merikins — free black settlers from the United States — arrived in Trinidad, establishing close-knit communities that survive to this day. This special programme of events... Read More

200 years ago, the Merikins — free black settlers from the United States — arrived in Trinidad, establishing close-knit communities that survive to this day. This special programme of events... Read More

Drama / 2000 / 90 min / Venezuela Director / Screenwriter: Michael New Starring: Pastor González, José Mantilla, José Torres Florentino, a young balladeer and horseman, faces the devil in... Read More

200 years ago, the Merikins — free black settlers from the United States — arrived in Trinidad, establishing close-knit communities that survive to this day. This special programme of events... Read More

Docu-Drama / 2014 / 100 min /Chile Director/Screenwriter: Manuel Basoalto Starring: José Secall, Paulina Harrington, Max Corvalán Pablo Neruda’s speech I accuse against President Gabriel Gonzalez Videla, made the Nobel... Read More

Our centerpiece awards ceremony honours the best books of Caribbean poetry, fiction, and non-fiction of the past year, and we present a lifetime achievement award to Peepal Tree Press founder... Read More

Angelique Nixon talks to Attillah Springer about her study of Caribbean tourism, and how artists and activists suggest other paths for social development. Bookmark

Four writers discuss the Shakespeare plays, characters, and lines that have influenced them. With Vahni Capildeo, Martin Daly, Marlon James, and Rowan Ricardo Phillips. Chaired by Funso Aiyejina. Bookmark

Animation / 2013 / 86 min / Argentina Director/Screenwriter: Julio Ludueña Starring: Stella Maris Closas, Cristina Tejedor, Aldo Pastur In this adaptation of Julio Cortázar’s work, fantastic tales are brought... Read More

Writer Nell Leyshon reads from her story in a new anthology celebrating the legacies of Shakespeare and Cervantes, and discusses why their classic works have weathered the centuries and still... Read More

How did Peepal Tree Press become the leading publisher of Caribbean writing? Founder and 2016 Bocas Swanzy Awardee Jeremy Poynting and his colleagues Hannah Bannister and Jacob Ross talk to... Read More

Documentary / 2002 / 93 min / UK/USA Rating: R Directors/Screenwriters: Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe Includes: Terry Gilliam, Johnny Depp, Jeff Bridges Lost In La Mancha offers a unique,... Read More

Calling all bards! Read your sonnet-length adaptations of Shakespearean stories and themes, and compete for the approval of judges elisha efua bartels and Giselle Rampaul. Plus a guest performance by... Read More

Books by three Trinidadian authors make their debut. Featuring: The Repenters, by Kevin Jared Hosein You Have You Father Hard Head, by Colin Robinson The Colour of Shadows, by Judy... Read More

Storytellers Nasoma and Paul Keens-Douglas liven up your Sunday afternoon, plus Wendell Manwarren as Don Quixote and Michael Cherrie as Sancho Panza. Bookmark

This workshop is now full. Fill in the registration form below to join the waiting list. The second session in the two-part masterclass with the winner of the 2015 Man Booker Prize, looking... Read More

Ascribed to the “first poet” Valmiki, the Ramayana is one of the epic works of world literature, and has been translated into numerous languages over the centuries. Vivek Narayanan presents... Read More

Readings from the winners of the 2016 prize, introduced by Marjorie Thorpe, vice-chair of the prize judges. Bookmark

Adventure / 2002 / 122 min / Spain Director/Screenwriter: Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón Starring: Juan Luis Galiardo, Carlos Iglesias, José Luis Torrijo Based on the second half of Miguel de Cervantes’... Read More

The hotly contested First Citizens National Poetry Slam brings the festival to an exhilarating close. Tickets required. Sponsored by First Citizens. Bookmark