Celebrating the work of the beloved T&T writer
When Rahim died unexpectedly in March 2023, it was a shock and an immense loss to Caribbean readers and writers, her University of the West Indies colleagues and former students. She left behind a substantial body of published work and a final completed novel, Goodbye Bay, scheduled for publication by Peepal Tree Press in July 2023.
In celebration of Jennifer Rahim, and to commemorate Caribbean Literature Day (12 July) 2023, the Bocas Lit Fest has curated a selection of texts, video, and audio footage offering excerpts from and engagement with her work — including an exclusive preview of Goodbye Bay, courtesy Peepal Tree Press.
WATCH AND LISTEN
Launching Curfew Chronicles
The official launch of Rahim’s novel Curfew Chronicles was a highlight of the 2017 NGC Bocas Lit Fest, hosted by publisher Jeremy Poynting of Peepal Tree Press and featuring readings by and conversation with the author. A year later, it was chosen by the judges of the 2017 OCM Bocas Prize as that year’s overall winner. Listen here:
Keep It Short
In this session at the 2018 NGC Bocas Lit Fest, Rahim joined fellow authors Keith Jardim and Jacob Ross to read from and discuss their short fiction with a sharp eye on the politics and perils of the contemporary Caribbean; chaired by Jeremy Poynting of Peepal Tree Press.
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Writing by Jennifer Rahim
From Goodbye Bay
Fiction
The first chapter of Jennifer Rahim’s final novel, set in Trinidad in 1963 in a remote coastal village — an exclusive preview, courtesy Peepal Tree Press.
From Curfew Chronicles
Fiction
An excerpt from Rahim’s 2017 work of fiction, a sequence of linked stories set in Trinidad during the 2011 state of emergency — winner of the 2018 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature. Courtesy Peepal Tree Press.
From Sanctuaries of Invention
Poems
A sequence of nine poems from Rahim’s sixth collection of poems, published in 2021, recounting a drive to Trinidad’s north-east coast. Courtesy Peepal Tree Press.
From Ground Level
Poems – “Haiti”
A poem from the 2014 book Ground Level, published in the US journal Poetry.
From Sanctuaries of Invention
Poems – “Wherever I Go ….”
A poem from the 2021 book Sanctuaries of Invention, published in the UK Guardian as a poem of the week
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Writing on Jennifer Rahim
A moving, insightful obituary by Jeremy Poynting of Peepal Tree Press, Rahim’s publisher and editor, that also serves as a concise critical summary of what makes her writing distinctive.
REVIEWS
In these insightful, generous reviews, Rahim turned her critical attention to the debut books of two younger poets from T&T, hinting at some of the concerns of her own creative work while tracing a literary lineage.
