Free literary workshops at Carifesta

TEN free workshops led by award-winning and acclaimed Caribbean writers are on offer at Carifesta XIV.

Sustaining a strong literary tradition relies heavily on the ongoing investment in actual reader and writer development. As part of the literary programme curated by the NGC Bocas Lit Fest in collaboration with the Nalis for Carifesta XIV, a mix of masterclasses and workshops with some of the region’s best talent is on offer from August 17 to 24 at The National Library in Port of Spain and the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts (SAPA) in San Fernando.

OCM Bocas Prize-winners Kevin Browne (2019) and St Lucian Vladimir Lucien (2015) along with 2018 First Citizens National Poetry Slam champion Deneka Thomas will all lead masterclasses at Nalis.

Workshops in biography, fiction, writing the erotic, non-fiction and inter-disciplinary approaches to writing will also be facilitated at Nalis by UK-based TT author Anthony Joseph, Barbadian author Robert Edison Sandiford, technology journalist Mark Lyndersay and poet Andre Bagoo.

Those absolutely new to writing can take advantage of two workshops specifically tailored to present the basics for getting started. Led by UWI lecturer Muli Amaye, one will be held at SAPA on August 17 from 1-4 pm and the other at Nalis, Port of Spain on August 19.

The Preparation for Publication workshop will round off the training component of the festival’s literary programme. Conducted by teacher and author Debbie Jacob with Jamaican publishing stalwart Ian Randle, this session will take place at SAPA on August 17 (9 am-1 pm).

All Nalis workshops run from 10 am-1 pm in the National Library. For workshop details and schedule, and to register, visit www.bocaslitfest.com/carifesta

“Carifesta gives the best opportunity to engage wide audiences on Caribbean literature. As with TT’s annual literary festival, while we find ways to celebrate great writing, it’s essential we invest in up and coming writers. That’s the only way to ensure we have more literary stars to shine in 20 years time”, says Bocas Lit Fest founder/director Marina Salandy-Brown.

“As TT’s primary dedicated reading and writing development agency”, Salandy-Brown added, “We’re satisfied that our mandate to increase opportunities for writers can now be met beyond the festival circuit and through the establishment of The Writers Centre, which allows us to host workshops and to collaborate with other cultural stakeholders to do more training.”

For the complete schedule of Carifesta literary events, visit www.bocaslitfest.com/workshops or call 712 6227.