A reminder that the process with these Carib Lit Plus Caribbean arts bulletins is to do a front and back half of the month, updating as time allows as new information comes in; so, come back, or, if looking for an earlier installment, use the search window. (in brackets, as much as I can remember, I’ll add a note re how I sourced the information – it is understood that this is the original sourcing and additional research would have been done by me to build the information shared here).
Misc.
October is Caribbean Folklore month. Read more about it here.
New Books
Monster in the Middle by Tiphanie Yanique of the US Virgin Islands comes out this month. Summary: When Fly and Stela meet in 21st Century New York City, it seems like fate. He’s a Black American musician from a mixed-religious background who knows all about heartbreak. She’s a Catholic science teacher from the Caribbean, looking for lasting love. But are they meant to be? The answer goes back decades—all the way to their parents’ earliest loves. (Source – BCLF email)
Series
Marsha Gomes McKie’s YouTube Conversations with (editors, writers) series. Playlist here. (Source – social media, I think)
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Tim Tim Bwa Fik is a blog dedicated to Caribbean romance lit and a new podcast. This is the posting schedule for the podcast:
10/07 + 10/21: Eugenia O’Neal, a BVI writer whose romances include the pirate adventure Dido’s Prize
11/4 + 11/18: N.G Peltier, a Trini writer whose 2020 book Sweethand is the first in her Island Bites series
12/2 + 12/16: Callie Browning, a Bajan writer whose The Girl with the Hazel Eyes is one of Oprah’s faves
01/06 + 01/20: Joanne C. Hillhouse, #gyalfromOttosAntigua; author of Dancing Nude in the Moonlight
02/03 + 02/17: Rilzy Adams, also from Antigua, a Ripped Bodice Award winner for Go Deep
Podcasts will be accompanied by a blog post. (Source – podcaster email)
Events
The Antigua-Barbuda Conference takes place Thursday 14th and Friday 15th 2021 October (virtually). Programme and registration information linked here.
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Antigua and Barbuda’s own Latisha Browne has made it to the finals of the JCI West Indies Public Speaking Competiton. She will compete against JC Barbados Devon Parris and JC Port of Spain (Trinidad) Ancilla Kirby. The finals were set to take place on October 11th 2021, 7 p.m. via the JCI West Indies facebook page. Additionally the JCI West Indies Debating Championships are on October 13th 2021, 8 p.m., also viewable on their facebook page. One of the JCI Antigua team members is past Wadadli Pen finalist (2006) Angelica O’Donoghue, along with Therese Mills and Donde Walter, up against teams from Dominica and Guyana. (Source – facebook)
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US author Felicia Brookins’ Aspiring Authors and Writers Literary Festival runs from October 7th to 10th 2021. On the heels of my workshop on writing for children with Bocas on October 2nd, I will be presenting on pretty much the same topic on October 7th 2021. Here’s a link for more. There’ll be sessions on supporting Black authors, securing an illustrator, marketing children’s books, and more. (Source – email from event organizer)
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Virtual listening party for the international launch of Shakirah Bourne’s In Time of Need. October 31st 2021, 4 p.m. (Source – email from StoryShyft, the literary arts media company that produced the audio book).
Call Back
ireadify.com has been here for a minute; some of my books – available in ebook or audiobook format are there.
I wanted to make sure you knew about it because the more ways we can get our books to readers, the better.
The platform offers ebooks as well as audio books (children’s to teen/young adult books), and will include an app and school portal. E and audio books are timed to help educators and home schooling parents plan their lessons factoring in these books. (Source – ireadify.com email)
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Mentioning this one because I’m a Storm-stan. I was September 2021 years old when I found out that Alison Sealy-Smith, a theatre artist from Barbados voiced Storm in the popular 1990s X-Men cartoon TV series that pre-dated the films. “I lived out in Scarborough [Canada] for a long time and for those kids, that there was a Black superhero, and that there was then a Black actress who was actually voicing the character…it was a big deal. And so, we shouldn’t underestimate the power of that was too, for people who didn’t often see themselves represented or think of themselves as superheroes.” The series is now available on Disney +.
(Source – Exploring Caribbean on Facebook original trivia and quote. Marvel DC Galore on YouTube for the embedded video interview)
As with all content on wadadlipen.wordpress.com, except otherwise noted, this is written by Joanne C. Hillhouse (author of The Boy from Willow Bend, Dancing Nude in the Moonlight, Musical Youth, With Grace, Lost! A Caribbean Sea Adventure, The Jungle Outside, and Oh Gad!). All Rights Reserved. If you enjoyed it, check out my page on Amazon, WordPress, and/or Facebook, and help spread the word about Wadadli Pen and my books. You can also subscribe to the site to keep up with future updates. Thanks.
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