Caribbean authors to promote climate justice at COP29

The writings of six Caribbean authors will be released internationally on November 18 in a preview of Today Today, Congotay! A preview of Writing For Our Lives, a Caribbean Climate Justice anthology.

The preview of the anthology will be unveiled at the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Published by the Bocas Lit Fest-run imprint Peekash Press, it is an initiative of The Cropper Foundation (TCF), a TT-based NGO which will host the COP29 launch on November 18 at the Caricom Pavillion.

According to a Cropper Foundation release, the preview is a curated sample e-book comprising six pieces of fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction from Anika Christopher, of the British Virgin Islands, Brendon Alekseii and Kevin Jared Hosein, of TT, Dreylan Johnson, of Guyana, Sharma Taylor, of Jamaica and Sonia Farmer, of The Bahamas. It also included a “stirring foreword” by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change executive secretary, Grenadian Simon Stiell.

In the foreword Stiell said, “Even at the highest level, as we worked on negotiations where parties combed over every sentence, every word, every comma of text, agreeing to the commitments of all countries around the world, I strove to keep front of mind the human face of climate change.

“Today Today, Congotay! takes on this mission with the appearance of ease that can only be born out of great beauty and artistry. Through fictional stories, poignant poems, and harrowing accounts of real experiences from authors across the Caribbean, the reader gets acquainted with the lived experience of those on the frontlines of climate change.”

Caricom Climate Change Centre executive director Dr Colin Young will speak at the COP29 launch but there will also be audio and video presentations, a live reading from Christopher and a short panel exploring the important role of ground-up climate action/movements in the Caribbean in prioritising climate justice issues.

Writing For Our Lives is the second stage of a Today Today, Congotay! project funded by Open Society Foundations. The pilot was a climate justice community micro-theatre in collaboration with the Brazil and Williamsville Secondary Schools in 2023.

The complete anthology will be published in the first quarter of 2025.

This electronic sample will be available for free download from November 18 from foundation's website: thecropperfoundation.org/writingforourlives.