I’ve been meaning to post on the Lit Fest for a while. It’s had its bumps but after last year’s cancellation it has to be counted as a plus that it’s back. But it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. Read a full report here written by me off of interviews with the organizers. For my part, I thought the numbers were down, and the cancellation of the star attraction didn’t help matters. But I still think the lit fest has potential both from a tourism standpoint and from the general perspective of developing the literary arts through workshop activity, interaction with authors at various levels of the game, and fun activities for kids. Mistakes have been made, no doubt. And I certainly I don’t have the answers really for the things that aren’t working though it seems pretty clear that it needs more ideas and more hands on deck, more communication, more publicity, more support generally. The organizers seem to be doing some soul searching on all this and have extended an invite for input (as noted in the article linked above). I hope people will take them up on this as this won’t thrive without a real public buy-in. Here are some reminders of why the lit fest matters.
Celebrating Talent

Celebrating literary excellence: Here we see Althea Prince collecting the ABILF lit award. None was given out this year but I for one hope it returns.
Exchanges

Panels like this 2007 one with Donna Hill, Verna Wilkins, Dawne Allette, and Victoria Christopher Murray provide insight to the writing process and the publishing industry.

Author Elizabeth Nunez makes a particular point about writing as novelist Eric Jerome Dickey looks on during a session at the 2007 Antigua & Barbuda Literary Festival.
Learning Opportunities

Ava Hutchinson conducts a session on raising creativity at the 2007 Antigua & Barbuda Literary Festival, held at the Anchorage Inn.
The Word
One of my favourite activities at the 2010 ABILF was the poetry night; listening to readings by Lorna Goodison, Esther Phillips, John Agard, Grace Nichols, Zee’s Youth Theatre and the Young Poets Society of Antigua and Barbuda. Also their after words about crafting and commitment to shaping the work into the best it can be spoke to the writer-still-becoming in me. I was busy with the Children’s Tent on Saturday so I didn’t get a chance to hear them under the big tent (below) but I didn’t feel cheated.
Generation Next

Marita Golden signs autographs for a group of young Antiguans. I remember her reading and workshops were personal highlights for me at the 2006 festival.
Moments like this

Antigua's youngest writer at the time, Akilah Jardine, signing copies alongside it's best known writer, Jamaica Kincaid.

one of the highlghts in all the years of the festival for me was reading at the Antiguan Authors Luncheon...when I was a little kid I didn't even know we had Antiguan authors!

...but, boy, are there; pictured at the first fest in 2006 are (standing) S. E. James, Marie Elena John, Rosalyn Simon, and me; and (sitting, from left) Althea Prince, Akilah Jardine, and Jamaica Kincaid.
Very insightful read and much for us to analyse with our own NI. Lit. Fest here in Dominica. Thanks so much for sharing, it sounds like we all face very similar challenges
I suspect we do. Thanks for stopping by, Celia.
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