Why create a Wadadli Pen workshop page to link in Resources and Database? After all, that page already links to Resources and other posts with overlap, like the Reading Room and Gallery series (which often includes ‘creatives on creating’ and Opportunities and Opportunities Too. Yes to all that but also sometimes I come upon content that is really about the practice of writing, and the organizational gremlin in my head decided that that needed a space as well. Come here when you want to just exercise (flex your writing muscles, as I like to say). If you want more guided practice and/or feedback, look in to writing groups (you can even form your own) or worskhops like those offered privately by members of Team Wadadli PenBarbara Arrindell and Joanne C. Hillhouse.
Joanne’s workshops have sometimes had guest presenters like publisher-editor-writer Carol Mitchell, pictured leading a session in summer 2013 Joanne’s Jhohadli Summer Youth Writing Project.
Sometimes Wadadli Pen has even offered workshops usually facilitated by either Barbara or Joanne, in its past.Below left Joanne leads Wadadli Pen’s first workshop series in 2005 and right is a shot from a workshop series Joanne offered free to Wadadli Pen in 2021.
Tips and practices linked below are for free and for you to do in your own time, and may be useful for keeping your writing muscles healthy.
Editing notes – which is just as it says with self-editing tips and links especially.
It’s my 53rd birthday! have a party favor – this post on her blog by American fantasy writer Mary Robinette Kowal walks the reader through the creation of a story with insights to unearthing character motivation and direction, discourse around world building, and a link to the final published version of the story.
Workshop Space – this 2014 post is this site’s previous attempt at creating a Work-shop; it contains a mulitude of links to help you get writing.
Writer’s Toolbox – another reminder that this is not a new idea to the blog; links to information on writing, craft and business.
Writing with Mary Robinette Kowal – this Jhohadli post from 2022 features my (Joanne’s) participation in an online writing workshop, and invites you to participate if you wish.
As with all content on Wadadli Pen, except otherwise noted, this is written by Joanne C. Hillhouse (author of The Boy from Willow Bend, Dancing Nude in the Moonlight, Oh Gad!, Musical Youth, With Grace, Lost! A Caribbean Sea Adventure, and The Jungle Outside). All Rights Reserved. Subscribe to the site to keep up with future updates. Thanks.
***DISCLAIMER: By definition, you’ll be linking to third party sites from these Links-We-Love pages. Linked sites are not, however, reviewed or controlled by Wadadli Pen (the blog, the Wadadli Youth Pen Prize nor coordinator/blogger Joanne C. Hillhouse); and Wadadli Pen (the blog, the Wadadli Youth Pen Prize and coordinator/blogger Joanne C. Hillhouse) disclaims any responsibility or liability relating to any linked sites and does not assume any responsibility for their contents. In other words, enter at your own risk.
Updating these links, it hits me how impermanent the web is (though we like to say the internet is forever): so many sites have gone altogether or gone stagnant since Wadadli Pen started and since I started keeping this list. We’re still here though; let’s have a party! But first, check out the links.
Antigua and Barbuda Studies Association – this is the organization behind the Antigua Conference and the Antigua and Barbuda Review of Books, two initiatives that have fueled inquiry into and documentation of the Antigua and Barbuda literary culture and a range of socio-economic and historical issues and personalities; while connecting the deep and vast network of scholars from Antigua and Barbuda.
http://www.antiguanice.com – Before Wadadli Pen ever had its own site, it had a page on Antigua Nice, the country’s local online hub, thanks to the generosity of Colin and Alison Sly-Adams.
http://antiguastories.wordpress.com/about/ – The Friends of Antigua Public Library is interested in collecting oral histories; some of them are posted here. Do you have a story to share? I’m sure they’d like to hear it.
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The Antiguanization Project – here’s their facebook
Antiguan Writer – this is my current you tube channel
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Archeology Antigua with Dr. Reginald Murphy, director of Heritage Resources for the National Parks Antigua, president of the International Association for Caribbean Archaeology, affiliated Professor of the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center, co-director on the Human Eco-dynamics Research Group CUNY Graduate Center, co-founder and President of the Museum of Antigua, and the Secretary General for the National Commission UNESCO Antigua and Barbuda. Dr. Murphy is, also, a “Restoration Ambassador to the St. John’s Cathedral, a trustee of the Clarence House Restoration Trust in the U.K., Chairman of the Betty’s Hope Estate Project, and a director of the Barbuda Research and Archaeological Center.
http://danielleboodoofortune.blogspot.com – I’ve been a fan of Trini Danielle Boodoo Fortune’s poetry since I met and shared a panel with her in Barbados in 2008. Who knew she was such a delightful artist as well?
http://www.darienbookaid.org – In existence since 1949, Darien Book Aid is a non-profit, all volunteer organization that builds a foundation of peace, understanding, and friendship through the free distribution of books. Book Aid sends books in response to specific requests from Peace Corps volunteers, libraries and schools all over the world Books are also donated to libraries, prisons, hospitals, and Native American and Appalachian groups in the United States. Among the groups, Dariend Book Aid has donated to is the Cushion Club right here in Antigua.
DDX Channel – This YouTube find has interviews with various Caribbean personalities – across sports, academia, the arts, media, and more. Its founder and interviewer hails from London. He is a Brit of Caribbean descent – born to a Caribbean mother and a English-born father of Caribbean descent. He has a deep interest in Caribbean history and a desire to document interesting people, capturing their stories while they’re healthy and alive, for his own enjoyment and to give others an insight in to what they do. Which, in addition to being a resource for school work or other purpose, can be useful in helping people learn more about themselves. This is the video that led me to the site, an interview with Antiguan and Barbudan scholar Dr. Natasha Lightfoot
and this is the one that sold me on the channel, this delightfully unorthodox interview (what DDX calls a Thread Bag Session) with local star sprinter Cejhae Greene.
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Frank Walter – a site dedicated posthumously to showcasing the life and work of the late Antiguan and Barbudan artist.
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http://freshmilkbarbados.com/ – Fresh Milk is a Caribbean non-profit, artist-led, inter-disciplinary organization that supports creatives and promotes wise social, economic, and environmental stewardship through creative engagement with society and by cultivating excellence in the arts.
http://islandstyle.typepad.com – Okay, so this site isn’t strictly literary but the blogger (an Antiguan) does have an engaging style and occasionally posts excerpts of fictions. But mostly it’s about fashion…and what’s wrong with that?
The Museum of Antigua and Barbuda – Opened in 1985 and housed in one of the oldest and best preserved buildings on the island, this is, of course, one of the best spots for exploring Antigua and Barbuda’s history. See the old Museum site.
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Museum of Photography and Fine Arts – Photo museum showcasing the history of Antigua & Barbuda – a project of photographer and publisher Timothy Payne – located in the upstairs gallery at the Multipurpose Centre Perry Bay – the subject matter is mostly historical
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National Archives database – digitization of some of the material related to the history of Antigua and Barbuda.
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Nugents of Antigua – bumped across this bit of local history, thought I’d share it.
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Other Artists – a gallery page that includes bios of several Antiguan and Barbudan artists.
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Permit me to mention this other artist, Barbadian artist Sheena Rose, whom I had the opportunity to profile for my former Zing column Creative Space – http://sroseart.tumblr.com/
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I edited a book for this blogger, a delicious culinary book. It’s not in wide release yet; meantime, check out her blog: Sitting in a Mango Tree.
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The Spectator is a publication by Petra Williams of Antigua and Barbuda.
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It’s a little known secret that while I don’t cook (well), I do watch cooking shows and troll cooking sites like this one: Tastes Like Home.
Travelling Light – this site is on a mission to collect an object – physical or virtual – from every country in the world. And, yes, I sent them something from Antigua and Barbuda.
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I like the beauty of Van Gogh’s art and find his life so fascinating…fascinating like I’d like to see it on screen someday, with maybe Michael Fassbender in the title role…yeah, I’d go see that…in the meantime, check out the man and his work – Van Gogh, not Fassbender – here at the Van Gogh Gallery.
White Creole Conversations – a new dialogue privileging open and honest communication. Rather than asking ‘who am I?’ the question posed might be ‘who are you?’ The focus of the conversations pivot on issues to do with race and class in this small post-colonial island space and take place between the artist and the participant.
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http://womenspeak.tumblr.com/ – This is a space for women to share their stories, embrace their power, and celebrate their womanhood. It’s also a space of vulnerability and pain where the struggles and sacrifices are spotlighted. It’s an inclusive space, constantly updated with information and prompts designed to engage the reader in the process. Also, it’s 100 percent Caribbean. Check it out.
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WiWords – a user driven online dictionary of Caribbean terms.
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Hard to get printed historical material seems to be available through this site.
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Met Annie Paul at the Association of Caribbean Women Writers and Scholars conference in 2012. This is where she blogs on the literary arts and other things. Also had the opportunity to reconnect with well known author, literary scholar and former professor Carolyn Cooper and like Paul she is another thought provoking blogger out of Jamaica. Here’s where she stirs it up.
DISCLAIMER: This page links to third party sites. Linked sites are not reviewed or controlled by Wadadli Pen (the blog, the Wadadli Youth Pen Prize nor coordinator/blogger Joanne C. Hillhouse); and Wadadli Pen (the blog, the Wadadli Youth Pen Prize and coordinator/blogger Joanne C. Hillhouse) disclaims any responsibility or liability relating to any linked sites and does not assume any responsibility for their contents. In other words, enter at your own risk. Some of these are cross-posted to the Opportunities page where you’ll find opportunities for writers in the Caribbean and beyond, as well as the Literary Festivals of the Caribbean page; there is also related content in A & B Writings in Journals, Showcases, and Contests (see R & D page) and on the A & B Artistes Discussing Arts page.
Now, in mostly alphabetical order…
ACalabashinterviews Caribbean writers and publishes curated creative content.
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The Allen Prize (founded by writer Lisa Allen-Agostini) is a not-for-profit company set up to reward, train and publish writers between ages 12-19 living in Trinidad and Tobago.
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Amplify Caribbean– a social justice initiative spearheaded by young Antiguans and Barbudans.
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– Anansesem (founded by writer Summer Edward) is an online magazine devoted to Caribbean children’s and young adult literature written by both new and established writers. Anansesem no longer publishes but remains archived online and also has The Anansesem Bookstore through which Caribbean #ownvoices children’s books can be purchased; also the Anansesem facebook page is still regularly updated.
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ArtsEtc Inc.is an independent Barbadian publishing company and cultural forum founded in 2003 by writers Linda M. Deane and Robert Edison Sandiford. It aims to be the premier cultural forum for Barbados, offering readers independent, authoritative, entertaining, and timeless perspectives in words and pictures on all aspects of the nation’s arts.
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Badass Black Girl is a blog and vlog by Haitian-American writer M. J. Fievre which features conversations with Caribbean creatives and other women of interest.
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Beyond Publishing Caribbean is a group of artists and writers, coming together to produce graphic novels and comics of all genres. The group is also looking to get new artist and writers to come aboard, giving them an outlet to have their work published or to work on existing projects.
Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival is a stateside Caribbean literary initiative inclusive of an annual festival, short story prizes (named for Trinidad-American writer Elizabeh Nunez), the BCLF Cocoa Pod on Apple podcasts, described as “a Caribbean storytelling experience in which writers of Caribbean heritage narrate their own stories. …rich with the rhythm, pitch and intonation of the one who wrote it”, and more. We are informed that they are open to receiving author press kits/bios/links and, also, review copies or ARCs (new releases) as they consider booking authors for their various programmes.
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Burt Award for Caribbean Literature was a literary development project (now discontinued) which financed the publication of competitively selected Caribbean teen/young adult books. It was coordinated by the Bocas lit fest in Trinidad and Tobago, and named for and financed by late Canadian philanthropist William Bill Burt (who died in 2017). There are variants of the programme in Africa and Canada. Read about Caribbean books published through this programme here on Wadadli Pen. (Pictured Bill Burt and Wadadli Pen founder/coordinator Joanne C. Hillhouse, whose Musical Youth was second placed for the prize, at the inaugural CODE Burt Award for Caribbean Literature awards ceremony at the 2014 Bocas Literary Festival)
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Calabash International Literary Festival is one of if not the Caribbean premiere literary festival. Held over three days in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, it was founded in 2001 by Jamaican writers Colin Channer (US-based) and Kwame Dawes (originally from Ghana), and Jamaican independent film producer Justine Henzell. The world class literary festival received the Madam C. J. Walker award from the Hurston Wright Foundation in 2021. (Pictured – Antiguan and Barbudan writers including Wadadli Pen’s Joanne C. Hillhouse, second from left, and former Wadadli Pen judge Brenda Lee Browne, third from right, during a 2007 Commonwealth Foundation sponsored trip to Calabash with Kittitian-British novelist Caryl Phillips, second from right).
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Calabash is an international journal of Caribbean arts and letters founded and edited by US based Jamaican writer and artist Jacqueline Bishop. It has ceased publication but the content is archived, so you can still check it out. You’ll find interviews, reviews, poetry, short stories, and more – and not just from the English speaking Caribbean.
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Caribbean Authors is where the world meets Caribbean Literatures. It is the online platform of the Caribbean Books Foundation, a registered non-profit in Trinidad and Tobago with a mandate to connect the Caribbean community and its diaspora through literature. It is founded and directed by Trinidad and Tobago writer Marsha Gomes-McKie. Books written by Caribbean authors are catalogued on the site.
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Caribbean/African Book Blogfocusses on publishing trends especially for the do-it-yourselfer, and also has interesting coverage of book clubs, authors, readings etc. It hasn’t been updated in several years but the content is archived on the site.
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Caribbean Children’s Fiction is the blog spot of Hazel Campbell, veteran Caribbean children’s writer, who provides invaluable tips on readying your work for publication, issues in Caribbean literature with an emphasis on children’s literature, and other writing news. The Jamaican writer died in 2018.
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Caribbean Civilization Tumblr shares things cultural and artistic from around the Caribbean virtual space. It hasn’t been updated in several years.
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Caribbean Intelligenceshares news and analysis about the Caribbean. They were also running a writing contest at the time they caught our eye.
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Caribbean Literary Action Group is self-described as “a working group of Caribbean writers, publishers, academics, festival coordinators and other persons from the literary sphere, with a shared interest in promoting Caribbean writing and publishing…(and the site is a) central resource for writers and publishers to gain information on publishing, marketing, distribution and bookselling in the Caribbean and to share their expertise and best practices.” (Pictured – a CaribLit co-organized workshop in Guyana, facilitated by Johnny Temple of Akashic and Jeremy Poynting of Peepal Tree Press, and including writer-editors-publishers-program-directors from across the Caribbean, including Wadadli Pen founder-coordinator Joanne C. Hillhouse, second row but second from left across, aimed to build editing skills in the region and by extension the literary ecosystem).
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Caribbean Literary Heritage is a project funded by the Leverhulme Trust that promotes literary and archival preservation in the Caribbean and the diaspora, as well as bridging connections between the literary past and present with an interest in exploring the new challenges and possibilities of born digital initiatives. One of its major projects was 10 Questions with various Caribbean authors.
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The Caribbean Literary Salon– hats off to Anouska Kock, a freelance journalist and writer, born in the Netherlands to Dutch Surinamese parents and resident in Aruba, who drew Caribbean writers in to this virtual space to workshop, network, and support and promote each other. With more institutional support it could have really been something (but, alas); it now seems to be dormant or dead.
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Caribbean Passion is, per the blog’s about page, “the Caribbean’s first line of Romance novellas.” The blogger is Nailah Folami Imoja, a Barbadian/British writer and teacher.
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The Caribbean Press is a downloadable library from the Caribbean Press which includes Guyana classics and other Caribbean Press titles.
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The Caribbean Review of Books was an online magazine covering Caribbean literature and arts. It focussed on reviews of new and recent books of Caribbean fiction, poems, biography, arts, culture, and current affairs. The CRB also published new writing, interviews, and essays on literature and culture. It was originally published between 1991 and 1994 by the University of the West Indies Publishers’ Association in Mona, Jamaica. In 2004, the CRB was revived by a team of writers and editors based at Media and Editorial Projects in Port of Spain, Trinidad. It published its last print edition in 2009 and was relaunched as an online magazine in 2010. The online magazine ceased publication in 2020. Issues are archived online.
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Caribbean Science Fiction is a site for readers looking for Caribbean Science Fiction, Caribbean Science Fiction writers looking for a community, and for researchers looking to link up with others writing about Caribbean Science Fiction.
(Pictured is art ‘Mysteries and Contraditions’ by Antiguan and Barbudan artist Edison Liburd which formed the cover of The Caribbean Writer Volume 29, 2015)
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Caribbean Studies Association self-describes as an independent professional organization devoted to the promotion of Caribbean studies from a multidisciplinary, multicultural point of view. It is the primary association for scholars and practitioners working on the Caribbean Region (including Central America and the Caribbean Coast of South America).
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Caribbean Tales defines itself as the first full-service film sales, and distribution company in the English-speaking Caribbean with the aim of becoming the reference point for producers and buyers of Caribbean-filmed content.
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Caribbean Writers Online is the page on this site where we gather and share links to the websites of Caribbean writers. (Pictured are Caribbean writers Leone Ross of Jamaica and the UK, right, Marion Bethel of the Bahamas, centre, with Antiguan and Barbudan writer and Wadadli Pen founder and coordinator Joanne C. Hillhouse at the Caribbean Congress of Writers in Guadeloupe in 2013)
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Caribbean Writers tumblr celebrates Caribbean writers by sharing excerpts from their work. It doesn’t seem like it’s being updated anymore.
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The Digital Library of the Caribbean (dLOC)provides users with access to Caribbean cultural, historical and research materials held in archives, libraries, and private collections, including but not limited to: newspapers, archives of Caribbean leaders and governments, official documents, documentation and numeric data for ecosystems, scientific scholarship, historic and contemporary maps, oral and popular histories, travel accounts, literature and poetry, musical expressions, and artifacts. One of the publications archived at dLOC is the Ma Comere Literary Journal, a publication of the Association of Caribbean Women Writers and Scholars. Archived there are issues covering a number of years 1998 to 2009.
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Get Write!, tag line “we spark and inspire”, run by Barbadian writer Shakirah Bourne, is a place where struggling writers can release frustration through quotes, quirky articles, and valuable advice. It hasn’t been updated since 2019.
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Groundation Grenada is a social action collective focussed on the use of creative media to assess community needs, raise consciousness, and create positive radical growth. It is developed by Malaika Brooks-Smith-Lowe and Richie Maitland to share the vision that Grenadian Society is fertile for positive change, requiring simply the necessary seeds and by extension the seed sowers.
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Hands Across the Seais a US charity that helps stock school libraries across the Caribbean. Hands is a past Wadadli Pen patron.
Teachers from St. John’s Catholic Primary, 2013, collecting the prize for most submissions by a secondary school. The prize was US$500 worth of books towards a school library, sponsored by Hands across the Sea.
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Interviewing the Caribbean (IC), founded and edited by Jamaican writer Opal Palmer Adisa, is an online/print journal, now published by UWI Press, that celebrates Caribbean artists everywhere. Each issue features works from Caribbean artists at home and in the Diaspora and, as the title implies, the mode is interview.
(Pictured is the Spring 2020 issue of Interviewing the Caribbean which features the Cherise Harris cover of With Grace, published by Little Bell Caribbean and written by Joanne C. Hillhouse)
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Jako Productions is a a cultural and entertainment enterprise that seeks to encourage the artistic expression of St. Lucian culture and to promote that culture worldwide.
New Caribbean Voicesis a books and writers podcast hosted by British poet, writer, and artist Malika Booker and produced by Peepal Tree Press.
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Novel Spaces was a space for an eclectic group of writers bound by a singular passion: writing and blogging about their writing and publishing experiences. Novel Spaces ceased new updates in 2019.
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LoveAxe was a virtual summer 2012 book club whose members were Jamaican-American writer Geoffrey Philp, Bahamaian-Guyanese-American Stephen Narain, and Kelly Baker Josephs.
The Museum has hosted several Wadadli Pen awards ceremony and collaborated on a showcase and fundraiser Word Up! 2006 (Photo of Wadadli Pen founder coordinator Joanne C. Hillhouse producing and emceeing that event by Laura Hall)
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Pen Tuh Paper, tagline Caribbeanness deconstructed, identities explained, was a place for West Indies and West Indies descended poets. It has not been updated since 2012.
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Piton Noire – a collective which aims to nurture and encourage writers to explore science-fiction and fantasy genres, within a Caribbean context. Most of members hail from the Commonweatlh of Dominica but the collective is open to any writer with an interest in the Caribbean. Its mission is to create a unique body of work that speaks to Caribbean futurism while simultaneously preserving and building on the islands’ mythologies and folklore. Primary link is their YouTube channel; this is their facebook page.
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Poets of the Caribbean promotes Caribbean poets and poetry. It is maintained by Jamaican-Canadian-American writer Yasmin Morais.
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Repeating Islandscurates news and commentary on Caribbean culture, literature, and the arts. It is maintained by Ivette Romero-Cesareo, born in the US-raised in Puerto Rico, and Lisa Paravisini-Gebert, who grew up in Puerto Rico.
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Rebel Women Lit started off as a book club, and is now a lit community with a community library, bookstore, book subscription service for tea Lovers and book clubbers, podcast, magazine and lots of projects, among the more high profile and impactful of those being the Caribbean Readers Awards, in which readers nominate and pick the best Caribbean books (and other literary content) of the year.
2020 winner Andre J P Warner with the Wadadli Pen Challenge plaque. Andre went on to win the Rebel Women Lit Caribbean Readers Choice of 2020 for best short fiction for his storyA Bright Future for Tomorrow
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Seawoman Press, a blog run by Bajan writer Sandra Sealey, is a good resource for market listings and news from the literary scene.
*** Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators – Caribbean South Chapteris a professional information and networking society of over 19,000 authors, agents, editors and illustrators world wide. For financial members, benefits include
1. Member swap services – where we can barter editing with editing etc
2. Illustrator list and contacts on the website – so members can use your services more
3. Free edits completed by Advisor for works under 1000 words
In addition to broader SCBWI benefits like:
· Quarterly SCBWI magazine from the USA office
· Weekly online industry updates via email and Facebook (please feel free to connect with me online)
· Opportunity to attend the International Los Angeles & New York Conferences (conference fees to be borne by SCBWI member)
· SCBWI biannual pre-Bologna Conference
· USA and other international publisher information
Each member gets a personal page on Caribbean South website (i.e. in addition to your member page at the main site). Trinidad and Tobago’s Marsha Gomes-McKie is the regional advisor. Registration is done online.
The Spaces Between Words: Conversations with Writers… and Caribbean Writers in particular doesn’t exist anymore, due to the passing of Dr. Giselle Rampaul, but rates a mention for its readings and audio interviews with some of the best on the contemporary Caribbean literary scene (Nalo Hopkinson to Tiphanie Yanique, Lorna Goodison to Marlon James). I hope all those valuable interviews haven’t been lost.
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Tim Tim Bwa Fik is a podcast dedicated to Caribbean literarture and romance.
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Tout Moun: Caribbean Journal of Cultural Studies is an open access, peer-reviewed, academic online journal for the cutting-edge research in Cultural Studies produced in and about the Caribbean. The journal welcomes research submissions on diverse cultural projects in a broad range of media including critical essays in written format, visual essays (including photographs, drawings, videos and paintings), book reviews and works of fiction. Published annually Tout Moun is a project initiated by the Department of Liberal Arts at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago. The online journal responds to the challenges of a new publishing world, making papers and research accessible via the Internet, and in doing so, making the work of emerging Caribbean scholars and those already respected in this field, available to an international market.
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The University of the West Indies Press is a not-for-profit scholarly publisher of books in thirteen academic disciplines. It is particularly well known for its work in Caribbean history, Caribbean cultural studies, Caribbean literature, gender studies, education and political science. Founded in 1992, the press has over 350 books in print.
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Charmaine Valere, formerly Signifying Guyana, has not been updated since 2016 but has archived its news, reviews, series, and perspectives related to Caribbean Literature.
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Vintage Caribbean is a blog about Caribbean history, music, culture, people, and more.
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Voices from Haiti, tagline nou bèl e nou la (we are beautiful and we are here) celebrates the creative spirit of Haitians and friends of Haiti worldwide.
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West Indies Books -is a reference listing of literature by West Indian authors, primarily anglophone West Indian authors, but with a highlighted listing of Haitian authors and works. The list is compiled by Patrick Jamieson (I don’t have information on him and his Caribbean connection) and includes a search feature for finding works by author.
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WiWords seems to be a Caribbean version of the urban dictionary. It seems to be driven by a user additions – and to the point that I last visited it had low to nil Antiguanisms and Barbudanisms.
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Womanspeakis a journal of literature and art by Caribbean women edited by Bahamian writer Lynn Sweeting.
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Writing Home: American Voices from the Caribbean is a podcast in which each episode features an exceptional contemporary cultural actor in conversation with lit scholars and hosts Kaiama L. Glover and Tami Navarro.
As with all content on Wadadli Pen, except otherwise noted, this is written by Joanne C. Hillhouse (author of The Boy from Willow Bend, Dancing Nude in the Moonlight, Oh Gad!, Musical Youth, With Grace, Lost! A Caribbean Sea Adventure, and The Jungle Outside). All Rights Reserved. If you use, credit. It you enjoyed, check out my blog. Thanks.
DISCLAIMER: This page links to third party sites. Linked sites are not reviewed or controlled by Wadadli Pen (the blog, the Wadadli Youth Pen Prize nor coordinator/blogger Joanne C. Hillhouse); and Wadadli Pen (the blog, the Wadadli Youth Pen Prize and coordinator/blogger Joanne C. Hillhouse) disclaims any responsibility or liability relating to any linked sites and does not assume any responsibility for their contents. In other words, enter at your own risk.
AALBC.com – largest, oldest, and most popular online bookstore dedicated to Black literature (US based and beyond); also provides a variety of resources and services to authors.
http://www.ba-theatre.com – Batchelor of Arts Theatre online – great site for the interviews alone, but also has much more; on the arts in general and the theatrical arts in particular.
Bernice McFadden, 2016, with Joanne C Hillhouse and Jamaica’s A-dZiko Simba Gegele during the BIM literary festival, is an African America with, I believe, familial links to Barbados.
Breadloaf Writers Conference – http://www.middlebury.edu/blwc – I participated in this long running Vermont conference in 2008 thanks to the Michael and Marilee Fairbanks International Fellowship.
With other fellows from the 2008 Breadloaf Writers conference
Richard Georges, centre, in conversation with other Caribbean Writers during an editing workshop in Guyana. Also pictured are Antiguan and Barbudan writer Joanne C. Hillhouse, Bermudan writer Kim Dismont-Robinson, and from Commonwealth Writers Rukhsana Yasmin.
Shakirah, right, during a Commonwealth Writers workshop in Barbados, with Joanne C. Hillhouse, and not quite out of frame Sharma Taylor.
Hurston Wright – uniting the legacies of literary adversaries Zora Neale Hurston and Richard Wright into a mega award much coveted by black authors and a writing programme that helps to prepare the next generation of wrtiers. Founded by Marita Golden, this is the site.
Unburnable author Marie Elena John with music star John Legend at her book launch in 2006. This book and author was a 2007 nominee for the Hurston Wright Award for best first book.
Home Slice – a space for readers, viewers, and listeners looking for the stories, information and inspiration that mass media can at best deliver in quick hits.
The Journal of Commonwealth Literature – With over forty years of publication, The Journal of Commonwealth Literature is internationally recognized as the leading critical and bibliographic forum in the field of Commonwealth and postcolonial literatures. It provides an essential reference tool for scholars, researchers, and information scientists.
The Literary Encyclopedia – The Literary Encyclopedia is a constantly evolving and updating repository of authoritative reference work about literary and cultural history.
Marita Golden – African American author and founder of the Hurston Wright programme for African American and diasporic writers.
Marita Golden reading 2006 at the first Caribbean International Literary Festival in Antigua.
Marita Golden signs autographs for a group of young Antiguans at the first Caribbean International Literary Festival in 2006.
The Modern Novel – a website that celebrates the world-wide literary novel since approximately the beginning of the twentieth century, arranged by nationality.
Online Writing Lab – The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material. Students, members of the community, and users worldwide will find information to assist with many writing projects. Teachers and trainers may use this material for in-class and out-of-class instruction. And it’s free.
http://tananarivedue.wordpress.com – An alum of the Antigua and Barbuda International Literary Festival and well known African American author, her blog is good reading on troubleshooting the writing life. She is a connoisseur of Black speculative fiction including horror.
Voices from the Gaps – an archive spotlighting the works of marginalized artists, particularly women writers of colour in North America.
A good spot to check for writing contests – Winning Writers. Also Don’t forget to search Opportunities on this site as well.
Yvonne McBride – just sharing one of the writers I’ve met along the way.
Yvonne McBride, center, was one of my mates during a 2012 Callaloo workshop at Brown University. Our facilitators were Maaza Mengiste and Ravi Howard, top right.
http://www.yudkin.com/flfaq.htm – Was thinking of the million and one things I had to figure out on my own and then adapt to my market when I started freelancing (some of which I’m still figuring out) and thought this might help for those of you with questions about how to do it. Also Don’t forget to search R & D on this site as well.
Zetta Elliott’s blog – this is an author I first came across on the blog (now extinct) Novel Spaces. She lives in the US and is originally from Canada but has St. Kitts-Nevis roots.
As with all content on Wadadli Pen, except otherwise noted, this is written by Joanne C. Hillhouse (author of The Boy from Willow Bend, Dancing Nude in the Moonlight, Oh Gad!, Musical Youth, With Grace, Lost! A Caribbean Sea Adventure, and The Jungle Outside). All Rights Reserved. If you use, credit. It you enjoyed, check out my blog. Thanks.
You’ve reached the right page…your portal to the world of Antiguan and Barbudan writers + artists (published and unpublished) on the web. This site has been edited to include artists, specifically the visual artists who are a part of the publishing ecosystem as cover artists and illustrators. Just follow the links…UPDATE: By the way, if you’re an Antiguan-Barbudan writer and your blog or web page/website isn’t listed, and you wish it to be, drop me a line wadadlipen@gmail.com and I’ll look into it. If it is listed and you don’t wish it to be, let me know that too, and I’ll remove it.
DISCLAIMER: By definition, you’ll be linking to third party sites. Linked sites are not, therefore, reviewed or controlled by Wadadli Pen (the blog, the Wadadli Youth Pen Prize, nor coordinator/blogger Joanne C. Hillhouse); and Wadadli Pen (the blog, the Wadadli Youth Pen Prize, and coordinator/blogger Joanne C. Hillhouse) disclaims any responsibility or liability relating to any linked sites and does not assume any responsibility for their contents. In other words, enter at your own risk.
First – this is me (Jhohadli) – I am a writer, author of several books, freelance writer and editor, writing coach, course and workshop facilitator, founder and coordinator of the Wadadli Youth Pen Prize (read about me and all of Team Wadadli Pen here), and still evolving.
@ Wadadli Pen fundariser, Word Up! 2006 (Photo by Laura Hall)
Sue Evan-Wong writes as Sue Appleby. Her writings connect the Cornish and the Caribbean.
Francoise Bowen is a screenwriter and director and owner of the Francoise Bowen Acting Studio which runs filmmaking workshops. Here, too, is her youtube channel.
Brenda Lee Browne is a former Wadadli Pen judge and founder of Just Write. She also shares her passions at her blog, Handbags and Chocolate.
Ashley Bryan is a prolific, multi-award winning American writer of African (and Antiguan) descent.
Chattinattiis an Antiguan who loves to “travel, write, read, watch the news and a few compelling tv series” and who works in “Media/Journalism and Marketing” . She aspires to be a published author some day.
Myra Francis’ blog which, she writes, is a segue to her yet to be published memoir, “40 Lessons in 40 Years: Putting Life into Perspective through Trials & Triumphs”.
Friends of Antigua Public Library’s Antigua Stories– a Collecting Memories Project.
Linisa George is a content creator, producer, and writer; also founder of both Black Girl in the Ring and Art. Culture. Antigua – the latter a Wadadli Pen patron.
Gayle Gonsalves – Antiguan-Canadian author of several books, including Painting Pictures and Other Stories, and the novel My Stories have no Ending.
P. E. Holdsworth – came across her byline in the liner notes of JusBus’ J. Nation CD – discovered from her online bio that she was born in Antigua.
Laura James – Brooklyn based artist of Antiguan-descent has illustrated covers of children’s books by award winning Jamaican writer Olive Senior.
Fayola Jardine’spoetry. Fayola is also a 2017 Wadadli Pen finalist.
Tameka Jarvis-George author of Unexpected, and poetry collections – I Am, I Am That I Am, and Thoughts from the Pharcyde is unflinchingly bare in her writing. She’s written a few more things by now, plus designed some things, produced some things; she’s always got something cooking.
Sarah P. King– physician, fitness and lifestyle advisor, and author.
Kimolisa Mings is a poet, open mic regular, and writer. She has two blogs; here’s the other one. Mings also built the very valuable bus stop Antigua website to help visitors and locals alike get around the island.
Motion (Wendy Braithwaite) is a Canadian of Antiguan descent and a dynamic spoken word artist and writer.
Kohlyah Piper was second placed overall in 2014 for the Wadadli Pen Challenge prize; as of 2015, this is where she’s blogging her poetry.
Althea Romeo-Mark left Antigua ages ago, came of age in the USVI, and has lived her adult life in the U.S., Liberia, Britain, and Switzerland.
Dena Simmons– educator. speaker. change agent. writer.
Monique S. Simon and her Caribbean Folklore Project. A bit about Monique: she teaches at the college level, her areas of expertise being literature of the black world, communications, and teaching strategies. She’s also widely published and has also performed her work (Adynah) on the NY stage.
Elaine Spires – a Brit who made Antigua a second home, set several of her writings in Antigua, and collaborated with local artist Heather Doram to make Maisie and Em a hilarious part of the local theatrical and film landscape. She’s the author of What’s Eating Me? and other books and this is where she blogs.
Anthea Thomas is not only a writer of text books; she also has a health and lifestyle blog, Anthea’s Inspiring World.
Glen ‘Rasta Man’ Toussaint’sblog where you’ll find his poetry and musings, and laugh and smile to yourself while doing so – and Dat Bwoi for Jackie is his wordpress blog which has an interesting and growing collection of stories built from Caribbean lore. Glen is also a past Wadadli Pen judge and host of the Best of Books’ Wadadli Pen Open Mic (as of 2020 owner of his own online and pop-up bookstore Ten Pages, and a Wadadli Pen patron)
Shana Jahsinta Walters who according to her blog bio has published over 200 short books (!) only a fraction of which have been found and listed on this site.
Floree Williamsis the author of Pink Tea Cups and Blue Dresses and Through the Window; and of this blog of inner musings. In 2017, she launched Moondancer Books. She’s a Wadadli Pen team member.
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, Lost! A Caribbean Sea Adventure, With Grace, and Oh Gad!). All Rights Reserved. Subscribe to the site to keep up with future updates. Thanks.
As I come across reviews or dig through archived reviews, I’ll add them – first to last, and not necessarily in the order they were written. Been finding so many, I had to tie off this list and continue the series in other posts (use the search feature to find them).
Tameka Jarvis-George’s film, Dinner, based on her poem of the same name and directed by Christopher Hodge of Cinque Productions premiered in 2011 at the Reggae Film Festival in Jamaica, where it received the following review:
“Featuring an attractive pair of lovebirds, Dinner is a sweetly poetic and vivid 12-minute verse-to-screen clip from an Antiguan writer/director with an appealing, if slightly provocative, voice. It’s a small film with a big heart that explores intimate love, employing a slyly clever approach – cloaked in the guise of meal preparation. While getting dinner ready a radiant young lady (played by Jervis-George, who also provides a lyrical voice-over) is surprised by the early arrival home of her virile Rastafarian man, and before you can say ‘Come and get it’ a dining of a totally different variety plays out on-screen. Shot in vibrant hues by a surprisingly steady camera, Dinner is romp that ends all too quickly, but it was tastefully delightful while it lasted. B”
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The Devil’s Bridge is an evocative work that will establish itself as another classic of the Caribbean and particularly Antiguan writing. It walks confidently, making its own path somewhere between Jamaica Kincaid and Wilson Harris. Because of its powerful visionary and ego-transcending achievements, this work will be compared to Harris’s Palace of the Peacock and Jamaica Kincaid’s Annie John.”
Professor Paget Henry,
Sociology & Africana Studies
Brown University
***
Just came across this mention of my Boy from Willow Bend at Behind the Marog Kingdom listing it alongside Flying with Icarus by Curdella Forbes and the Legend of St. Ann’s Flood by Debbie Jacob as “useful stories for discussion” in getting Caribben boys to deal with their feelings. That’s kinda cool. It’s also listed as recommended books for boys here.
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“The beauty, economy and precision of Kincaid’s prose transports even the most curmudgeonly and aloof reader into the abject state of gushy fandom.” – Saidiya Hartman, professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia university, introducing Jamaica Kincaid for a reading.
***
Re Unburnable
“John expertly weaves history and fiction into an integral narrative that takes the reader on a fascinating journey where instincts, magic, intuition and, above all, love are the real protagonists.” – from this blog.
“UNBURNABLE is good, if not great. It is a magnificent attempt on a very large theme: recognizing and releasing the sins of the fathers (in this case, mothers, in a matriarchal society) to embrace one’s own destiny.” – from this blog.
“Marie-Elena John graciously takes you inside the history and lives of the people in Dominica. You will visist the island’s original Carib people, who discovered Columbus when he arrived in 1493. Yes, be careful because you may actually learn something by reading this novel. Don’t worry. Marie-Elena weaves a wonderful tale that will also feed some of your thirst for sex and action, while simultaneously increasing your knowledge of Africa and the Caribbean.” – from this blog.
“The diversity of the African diaspora is often overlooked in modern African American literature, and this page-turner fills in some gaps.” – from Booklist, found here.
“Strong writing and interesting supporting characters should keep readers occupied through the end.” – from Publishers Weekly, found here.
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Re Considering Venus
“An interesting thing about Considering Venus is that Lesley’s sexuality is never defined. It’s just love between two women–with no barriers.
Isaac has written a lovely book, with just the right fusion of prose and poetry make it a joy to read.” – this from Sistahs on the Shelf in 2008.
“Artist and performer Iyaba Ibo Mandingo is undeniably talented. Though he describes himself “as a painter and
a poet,” in unFRAMED, Mandingo also demonstrates his abilities as a singer, dancer, performance artist, standup
comedian and storyteller…Visually, unFRAMED is a treat. Mandingo’s painting is colorful and expressive, and lighting designer Nicholas Houfek does an excellent job enhancing the various emotions that Mandingo conveys throughout his story. UnFRAMED is also very funny at times, especially in a sequence in which Mandingo makes light of his own name. Best of all, unFRAMED is worthwhile because it shares a different perspective on America, one that stands in stark contrast to most people’s naïve notion of a land of equality and opportunity.”
“There is no way an Antiguan or an individual who lives on the island cannot relate to this story. The island is too small and the story too concise to be shortsighted. As a returning national, I found it answered many questions as to the cultural dynamics of present day Antigua.”
***
Amos Morrill’s children’s book Augusta and Elliott received some positive feedback from readers and reviewers, such as:
“…there is much on the page to delight the eye, both in color and in content. The
text is simple but the message to children (and their parents) is clear: help
save our oceans.” – Charlotte Vale-Allen @ Amazon.com
“This simple storybook is filled with colorful drawings to tell the tale. Without harping on negativity, the fish throw a party to drum up support and start implementing change…This would be a great gift for anyone with kids. Amos would love to know that future generations will be more conscious of the fragile nature of our ecosystems and our need to minimize human impact.” – Kimberley Jordan-Allen
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“…it’s often thought that there was next to no literature produced in the Caribbean until the mid-20th century. It makes Frieda Cassin one of the region’s first recorded woman writers, and it makes her novel the first such book to be published in Antigua. But much more interesting than these historical details is the novel itself, a distinctly dark and disturbing look at West Indian society…
There is much that is bad about this book. The dialogue is at times excruciating, and the familiar clichés of Caribbean life rather trying. But, as an insight into some of the phobias surrounding small-island society a century or so ago, it is fascinating. And what makes it all the more bizarre is that this dark indictment of a racist and neurotic world was written by a respectable lady who was probably a pillar of that very society.” – Caribbean Beat review, in its November-December 2003 issue, of Freida Cassin’s With Silent Tread.
***
A mixed review of Althea Prince’s Loving this Man from January magazine begins:
“Toronto author Althea Prince writes with such sensuality and grace that it creates a heady spell, drawing the reader into the center of the story. If only this were all a novelist needed to do, Loving This Man would have been a triumph. The fact that the novel does not come together as a satisfying read is connected to technical things like structure and voice, and even deeper underpinnings such as intent.”
Do you agree? Read the book, read the rest of the revew here and decide for yourself.
***
From my own review in Volume 3 Number 1 Summer 2010 edition of The Antigua and Barbuda Review of Books, of Althea Prince’s body of work:
“By writing not only plentiful but plenty-plenty of who we are beyond skin and bones and the condition that landed us here, by rebelling with polite but persistent resolve against the hegemony that would box us in, by writing with heart and hardiness, with poetry and compassion, by nudging writers like myself to trust what we intuit, Prince continues to be an example to Antiguan writers yet becoming.”
Just found this fleeting but delightful reference by Jamaican Helen Williams to Ashley Bryan’s Beautiful Blackbird, referencing a reading of the book to a grade four class:
“This delightful story, with its rhythmic prose and adequate repetition, is adapted from a tale from ‘The Ila-speaking peoples from Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia)’ by Edwin Smith and Andrew Dale, (1920). The bold illustrations could be seen by the children at the back of the class. (Thanks to Pam Witte for sending me this book.) Several children asked me to read the story again…”
***
Referencing the writings of Althea Romeo-Mark:
“The gusting, twisting, reaching complexity of Romeo-Mark’s poetry and narrative matches the twisting, gusting complexity of her thought. And yet, the poems and narratives are not insistently complex. The rhythm and the ideas are both simple and matter of fact. Romeo-Mark’s wit is neatly carried by a direct cadence and where enjambment occurs; she states her case plausibly, clearly developing a seamless organization without falling into monotony.” – Review of If Only the Dust would Settle, P. 341 – 342, The Caribbean Writer Volume 25, 2011
“The voice of African-American writing” – Poetry@Suite101, 2011
“This book is also interesting…for the insight it offers to the immigrant experience.” – Daily Observer, 2010
“Romeo-Mark’s knack for connecting the inner and outer world, shifting easily between moods, and making connections across time and space, coupled with vivid imagery, make this a thoroughly engaging read.” – customer review, Amazon.com, 2010
and this review of her earlier work:
“The relationship between Romeo-Mark and the persona in her poems is complex. The poet seems to maintain a psychic distance from her persona. The voice in her poetry describes the ironies of the human experience in the Caribbean, North America, and West Africa.” – Vincent O. Cooper, JSTOR, 1994
***
Cris on Facebook on Considering Venus:
“If D. Gisele Isaac wrote “jiggy poo poo” on a piece of paper, I’d want to read it. She
has one of those writing styles that just draws you in and wraps you up in the
flow of her words. I felt like the characters in the book were real people that I could actually
bump into if I went down to the road in the supermarket. Now lemme tell you
bout the book: Considering Venus explores the lives of a heterosexual widow, who finds herself
falling in love, and teetering into a relationship with an old school friend
who just happens to be a lesbian female. The pair undergo the typical battles of a new “same sex” relationship
as the story unfolds. Now I have two BIG problems with this book. Number one: the book actually had
an ending, I wanted to stay in Cass and Lesley’ lives forever (no homo lol) and
number two: WHEY THE SEQUEL SO LANG WOMAN!”
***
Cris also said about Floree Williams’ Through the Window, also on Facebook:
“I really enjoyed this book. What I loved most about it was the author’sability to get you to ‘see’ the characters, and the places the
characters in the book went.”
***
Finally, her reader-review of my book Dancing Nude in the Moonlight (yep, on Facebook) said, among other things:
“What stood out to me the most was that Joanne managed to “flesh out” such real characters and spin such a realistic story line into such a small book.” Thanks, Cris.
***
See a short write-up on Tameka Jarvis-George’s Unexpected at 365Antigua.com. Excerpt:
“‘Unexpected’ is a poignant, true-to-life tale that reflects a Caribbean-inspired ‘voice’ but is easily transferable and relatable to other cultures.”
***
Came across this old(ish) write up of young writer (and Wadadli Pen alumna) Rilys Adams’ first spoken word CD, Laid Bare. Excerpt:
“Her poetry is timely and captures the urgency to preserve the culture that is left, to uplift the nation, and savour memories with loved ones.”
***
Search Antigua has been making its pick of essential Summer reads. On its non fiction list, you’ll find Keithlyn Smith’s To Shoot Hard Labour (“a book every Antiguan should read”) and Symbol of Courage, and Monica Matthews’ Journeycakes. On its fiction list, you’ll find Marie Elena John’s Unburnable (“a suspense novel with many twists, turns and secrets”), my (i.e. Joanne C. Hillhouse’s) Dancing Nude in the Moonlight (“a nice, light, summer read for the romantics”), and Tameka Jarvis-George’s Unexpected (which “will have you curled up on the couch for a while”). Teen picks include my Boy from Willow Bend, Akilah Jardine’s Living Life the Way I Love It and Marisha’s Drama, Marcel Marshall’s All that Glitters, and Floree Williams’ Through the Window (“a great read for older teens and young adults”); while on the kids’ list are A Day at the Beach (“beautiful illustrations and the charming story of two children’s day at the
beach”) by writer Calesia Thibou and illustrator Gail M. Nelson, Floree Williams’ Pink Teacups and Blue Dresses, and Rachel Collis’ Emerald Isle of Adventure.
***
What did the late critic Tim Hector think of Dorbrene O’Marde?… Just came across this review of the latter’s last play (to date) This World Spin One Way…and it’s full of high praise indeed:
“Dobrene O’Marde is a valuable asset in a community with few valuable
assets. That is why this article was extended beyond the limits of a mere
review, proving that without the artistic integrity of the likes of Dobrene
O’Marde all dialogue is silenced, and we have only the tiresome monologue of
rulers.”
“…Let me say at once, that “This World Spins One Way” is Dobrene’s best written play, and probably the best play written by an Antiguan.”
***
A great resource for reviews of Antiguan and Barbudan books is The Antigua and Barbuda Review of Books edited by Brown University Professor Dr. Paget Henry. The 2011 issue includes reviews of the late Dr. Charles Ephraim’s The Pathology of Eurocentrism (“a major work of Africana existensial philosophy andBlack existentialism” – Lewis R. Gordon); Emily Spencer Knight’s Growing up in All Saints Village, Antigua: The 1940s – the late 1960s (“history written in a personal style” – Bernadette Farquhar); Leon H. Matthias’ The Boy from Popeshead, Theodore Archibald’s The Winding Path to America, Hewlester A. Samuel Sr.’s The Birth of the Village of Liberta, Antigua, and Joy Lawrence’s Bethesda and Christian Hill: Our History and Culture (collectively described as “…a goldmine for those who want to learn about the culture and cultural practices of each period” – Susan Lowes); and Paget Henry’s Shouldering Antigua and Barbuda: The Life of V. C. Bird (“an enlightening narrative of the leadership style and philosophy of Bird…” – George K. Danns). I’m delighted that it also includes a review of my own Boy from Willow Bend by the esteemed Columbia University Assistant Professor and daughter of the Antiguan and Barbudan soil, Natasha Lightfoot:
“For its thoughtful rendering of complex issues such as
gender, class, migration and death, for the swiftness of Hillhouse’s prose, and
especially for the captivating personality with which she endows the title
character, readers will be instantly drawn to this narrative.
…
“Hillhouse has crafted a story that adult and young readers
alike can enjoy, that truly captures the spirit of Antigua’s recent past.”
***
Online review of Dancing Nude in the Moonlight (“an honest depiction of attitudes toward cultural mixing and interracial dating”)…love the name of this blog, btw: lifeasjosephine.
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U.S. (specifically Rawsistaz’s) review of The Boy from Willow Bend reposted by 365Antigua.com: three out of five stars, the reviewer had some struggles with the language but liked the descriptions (“I could picture myself walking down the dirt roads looking at the willow trees or listening to the street musicians as I walked down the street”).
***
Jamaican children’s author Diane Brown’s review of Antiguan S. E. James’ Tragedy on Emerald Island
“The descriptions of the eruptions beginning, the ash, the fright of not knowing
at first what it is, what was actually happening, and then once reality dawned,
the fear of what would happen next, grabbed me. I was sitting ‘scrunched up’ in
my bed (which is where I read) with fright.”
and other books for older readers.
***
Reader comments on Floree Williams’ Through the Window can be found at the book’s Facebook page including:
“beautiful novel ” (Eric Jerome Dickey, author)
“The storyline was good, albeit one that …is not uncommon, however the characters and the way they unfolded during the telling of the story was indeed interesting.” (Marcella Andre, media personality)
***
Unburnable, Marie Elena John’s book attracted wide acclaim and a Hurston Wright nomination. Follow this link and this to see what other critics have to say about the Antiguan authors debut novel. Here’s a teaser:
“wondrously intelligent” (Chimamanda Adichie)
“electrifying” (Essence)
“compelling” (Booklist)
***
“Vibrant and powerful” are two of the words that have been used to describe Women of Antigua’s When a Woman Moans first staged in 2010 as a successor to its stagings of Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues. It was co-scripted and directed by Zahra Airall and Linisa George of August Rush Productions w/input from Marcella Andre, Carel Hodge, Floree Williams, Greschen Edwards, Melissa Elliott, and me (your Wadadli Pen blogger/coordinator Joanne C. Hillhouse) in 2010 with the addition in 2011 of pieces by Tameka Jarvis-George, Salma Crump, Brenda Lee Browne, and Elaine Spires. Here’s what they had to say about the 2010 production over at 365 Antigua and see what audience members said at the When A Woman Moans group page on Facebook.
is a US charity that helps stock school libraries across the Caribbean. Hands is a past Wadadli Pen patron.
started off as a book club, and is now a lit community with a community library, bookstore, book subscription service for tea Lovers and book clubbers, podcast, magazine and lots of projects, among the more high profile and impactful of those being the Caribbean Readers Awards, in which readers nominate and pick the best Caribbean books (and other literary content) of the year.
– 
Claudia Elizabeth Ruth Francis was born in the UK of Barbudan and Canadian heritage. Check out her and 
Elaine Spires – a Brit who made Antigua a second home, set several of her writings in Antigua, and collaborated with local artist Heather Doram to make Maisie and Em a hilarious part of the local theatrical and film landscape. She’s the author of What’s Eating Me? and other books and 
Wadadli Pen 