Palmyra kicks off 2025 at Writers Centre

THE Writers Centre hosts its first event for 2025 on January 16 at 5.30 pm, with a reading and discussion of Palmyra, the Caribbean Gothic suspense novel by Trinidadian-Canadian Karen Barrow.

The Writers Centre is a space dedicated to writers and literary programmes in Trinidad and the headquarters of the Bocas Lit Fest.

A news release on January 9 said, "Published in 2024 by FriesenPress, Palmyra was shortlisted for the 2023 Guernica Prize for Literary Fiction, and won the 2024 Whistler Independent Book Awards in the fiction category."

Set on a Trinidadian cocoa estate in the early 1900s, the novel combines elements of mystery and romance in its storytelling, which focuses on the running of the cocoa estate, as well as the lives of the overseers and workers involved in its operations.

In a review, Bridget Brereton, emerita professor of history at UWI, St Augustine, called Palmyra “a well-written, intricately plotted and fast-paced novel, definitely a good read.”

Barrow, who grew up in Trinidad, migrated to Canada and now lives in British Columbia.

She said Palmyra was written at the height of the covid19 pandemic. “After I decided to finally ‘write what I know,’ chose a location, and sketched out a rough plot, I spent 2019 researching Palmyra. It wasn’t until the first covid lockdown in 2020 that I started writing, hence the strong emotional undercurrents in the novel. The suspense vibe was always going to be there, but the Gothic element wormed its way in.”

Barrow said as a Canadian resident she was enthusiastic about sharing Palmyra with readers at home in Trinidad.

“Palmyra’s overwhelmingly positive response has taken me by surprise,” she said, “as it seems to have transcended race, gender, and age. I’ve had a number of people say that they learned a lot about the country and its culture, which was part of my intent.

"I’m looking forward to engaging with Trinidad’s reading public and answering any questions related to the novel or to writing in general.”

The Bocas Lit Fest’s festival and programme manager, Shivanee Ramlochan, will be in conversation with Barrow at the event, in a panel that will include both author readings and discussion, with a chance for the audience to ask questions and offer comments.

"Paper Based Bookshop, housed at The Writers Centre, will have copies of Palmyra for sale. The Sleepy Cat Cafe, also...at The Writers Centre, will be open, serving hot and cold beverages and snacks...All are invited; the event is free and open to the public," the release said.

The Writers Centre, 14 Alcazar Street, St Clair, is the home of the Bocas Lit Fest, Paper Based Bookshop, and the Sleepy Cat Cafe.