2015 Festival Programme

Celebrating Trinidad’s late, iconic writer through readings from his poems, his journalism, his Bim screenplay, and memoirs. With Mandisa Pantin, Jaliyah Philips, Ken Gordon, Che Rodriguez and Narad Mahabir, and Monique Roffey... Read More

Translators Daniel Hahn and Frank Wynne, publisher Johnny Temple, and literary agent Ria Julien give an inside perspective on the publishing world’s view of translation 10.30–11.30 am • 1st Floor... Read More

Susan Greenfield talks to architect Mark Raymond about the neuroscience of creativity. 10.30 am–12 pm • AV Room

“Governance” — the buzzword of the moment in an election year, but what does it mean? Former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday, ex-Mayor of Port of Spain Louis Lee Sing, and... Read More

Extempo masters Black Sage and Lingo bring their cutting wit to a sung debate about politics and politricks 12–12.45 pm • Abercromby Street Arcade

Poetry Is an Island, dir. Ida Does. This moving portrait of Nobel laureate Derek Walcott grounds his lyrics in the landscape of St. Lucia. 12.30–2.30 pm • AV Room

Open mic for writers of prose and poetry. Share your words and stories with the world! MC’d by Idrees Saleem, 2014 Verses Bocas Poetry Slam winner. To sign-up, email us... Read More

Daniel Hahn, editor of the new Oxford Companion to Children’s Literature, on global trends in writing for young readers 1–2 pm • 1st Floor Seminar Room

Landscapes of poetry: Trinidadian-Canadian Shane Book and Forward Prize-winning Jamaican Kei Miller read from their new collections, Congotronic and The Cartographer Tries to Map a Way to Zion 1–2 pm... Read More

Olive Senior, author of a groundbreaking new book on West Indian workers who helped build the Panama Canal, talks to historian Bridget Brereton 2–3 pm • Old Fire Station

Home and away: Shani Mootoo (Moving Forward Sideways Like a Crab) and Lawrence Scott (Leaving by Plane Swimming Back Underwater) read from their new works of fiction 3–4 pm •... Read More

Scholars Carolyn Cooper and Silvio Torres-Saillant, diplomat Daniela Tramacere, and poet Gerda Stevenson debate questions of language, identity, and national consciousness in the Caribbean and further afield; moderated by David Codling.... Read More

Margaret Busby, co-founder of the UK publisher Allison and Busby and grande dame of Black British publishing, is presented with the award recognising editors, publishers, critics, and broadcasters who have... Read More

The launch of Coming Up Hot: Best New Poets from the Caribbean, featuring Danielle Boodoo-Fortuné, Shivanee Ramlochan, and Colin Robinson Introduced by Jeremy Poynting and Johnny Temple 7.30–10 pm •... Read More

Six up-and-coming writers share their fiction and poems. Featuring Elliot Bastien, Summer Edward, Richard Georges, Darin Gibson, Brandon O’Brien and Dara Wilkinson Bobb, chaired by Ayanna Gillian Lloyd. 10–11 am... Read More

Poetry Is an Island, dir. Ida Does. This moving portrait of Nobel laureate Derek Walcott grounds his lyrics in the landscape of St. Lucia. 10 am–12 pm, AV Room

The annual competition for emerging writers run by the New York­–based journal Small Axe has become a major platform for recognizing new Caribbean literary talent. Past winners and shortlistees read... Read More

Caribbean speculative fiction authors Tobias Buckell, R.S.A. Garcia, Nalo Hopkinson and Karen Lord explore how fiction about the fantastic can drive us to imagine alternative futures; moderated by Shivanee Ramlochan.... Read More

Budding writers of speculative fiction: this open mic is just for you. MC’d by Brandon O’Brien. To sign-up, email us at [email protected], with the subject line “sci-fi open mic”. 12–12.30 pm... Read More

Michael Kelleher, administrator of these awards for international writers based at Yale University, on what the Windham Campbell Prizes mean for Caribbean authors 12–1 pm • 1st Floor Seminar Room

The Saddhu of Couva, dir. Yao Ramesar. Walcott as Poet and Seer, dir. Jean Antoine-Dunne. An imaginative adaptation of Derek Walcott’s well-known poem and a searching documentary on his work... Read More

Colonised by foreign invaders, forced to speak a new language, resisting a predatory ruling class — is this medieval England, or the modern Caribbean? Or both? Poet Patience Agbabi and... Read More

The Grenadian-born New York Times bestselling author Tobias S. Buckell (Hurricane Fever) and Trinidadian R.S.A. Garcia (Lex Talionis) read from and discuss their sci-fi and futuristic novels. 1–2 pm •... Read More

Dream on Monkey Mountain (filmed for NBC by Hugh Robertson) Filmed in 1970 for NBC Television, this version of Derek Walcott’s classic play features the original cast, including the late... Read More

Scholar Silvio Torres-Saillant discusses the importance of this landmark book by sociologist Franklin Franco, exposing the longstanding ethnic tensions in the Dominican Republic 2–3 pm • 1st Floor Seminar Room

Nalo Hopkinson (The New Moon’s Arms) and Karen Lord (The Galaxy Game) read from their latest speculative fiction novels. 2–3 pm • Old Fire Station

Eminent Jamaican poet and scholar Edward Baugh reads from his most recent collection and discusses his life in Caribbean letters 3–4 pm • Old Fire Station

From Scotland with love: poets Aonghas MacNeacail and Gerda Stevenson bring both verse and tidings from north of the border 4–5 pm • Old Fire Station Presented in partnership with the British... Read More

Catch the after-work vibe, with music by Ruth Osman, Kyle Richardson, the Ernesto Latin Show, and Gerry Williams of NEW FIRE. 4–5 pm • Abercromby Street Arcarde

Poet and scholar Rosamond King talks to Colin Robinson about the Caribbean’s “transgressive sexualities.” 4–5 pm • 1st Floor Seminar Room

Linguists Jo-Anne Ferreira and Nnamdi Hodge pose provocative questions about the language spoken by many of our great-grandparents — and its impact on how we think and speak today. Chaired... Read More

The 2015 winners of the second annual Burt Award for Caribbean Literature — recognising books written for young adult readers — are announced. 6–7.30 pm • Old Fire Station

A tribute to T&T’s star musician and the co-author of his memoir, Jocelyne Guilbault, in conversation with Alvin Daniell. Plus drinks, music, and a live performance by 3Canal. 8 pm... Read More

Three of the finalists for CODE’s Burt Award for Caribbean Literature 2015 read from and discuss their works of young adult fiction, with Richard Finch. 10–11 am • 1st Floor... Read More

Dream on Monkey Mountain (filmed for NBC by Hugh Robertson). Filmed in 1970 for NBC Television, this version of Derek Walcott’s classic play features the original cast, including the late... Read More

Writers from three corners of the world discuss the problems and privileges of writing across language borders, and what gets lost — or found — in translation. Featuring Kei Miller,... Read More

Scholar Jocelyne Guilbault talks to music journalists Mark Lyndersay and Laura Dowrich and soca producer Kasey Phillips about the direction and evolution of T&T’s popular musical form; chaired by Rhoda... Read More

Fred D’Aguiar and Monique Roffey read from Children of Paradise and House of Ashes, their novels inspired by violent episodes in the histories of Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. 11am –12 pm • Old... Read More

A Spanish-language open mic — bring your lyrics, amigos!  With a guest reading by Dr. José Serulle Ramia, Ambassador of the Dominican Republic, and a feature performance by Chilean poet... Read More

The Rig, dir. Derek Walcott A rare opportunity to see this feature-length film, written and directed by the poet-playwright in 1983. 12–1.30 pm • AV Room

Literary translation as a competitive sport? Game on! With Daniel Hahn and Frank Wynne, “refereed” by Eric Maitrejean. 1 – 2 pm • Old Fire Station

Five of the best recent self-published authors read from their work and share their insights into doing it your own way. Featuring writers Jenny Green, John O. Stewart, Vaughn T. Stanford,... Read More

2015 is the centenary of T&T’s pioneering poet and playwright. Eric Roach’s biographer Laurence Breiner and his editors Kenneth Ramchand and Danielle Gianetti join writers Earl Lovelace and Andre Bagoo... Read More

Poet Patience Agbabi drags Chaucer into the 21st-century in this lively, unexpected adaptation of The Canterbury Tales. 2–3 pm • Old Fire Station. Presented in partnership with Renaissance One

Barbara Lalla reads from her novel Uncle Brother and shares her experience of writing family history into fiction, followed by readings from Writers Union members. 2–5 pm • 1st Floor... Read More

Novelists Tiphanie Yanique (Land of Love and Drowning) and Naomi Jackson (The Star Side of Bird Hill) read from their books inspired by family stories, set respectively in St Thomas... Read More

A special series of short films on Caribbean writers in Canada: My Dinner with Shani: Shani Mootoo Gardening with Olive: Olive Senior Fabulous Spaces: Nalo Hopkinson Directed by Frances-Anne Solomon... Read More

Our headline awards ceremony returns to its original home, and pays tribute to inaugural OCM Bocas Prize winner Derek Walcott in poetry and music 6.30–10 pm • Old Fire Station

Forty years ago, Derek Walcott and Kamau Brathwaite seemed to many readers like opposing poles of Caribbean poetry. How accurate was this idea then, and how has it changed? The... Read More

Storytelling for grownups! Featuring Glenda-Rose Nassoma Layne. 10–11 am • Abercromby Street Arcade

Kevin Jared Hosein, 2015 Caribbean winner of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize, joins past winner Sharon Millar and judge Fred D’Aguiar to discuss what the prize means for emerging Caribbean... Read More

Bhaskar Sunkara, editor of the politics magazine Jacobin, talks to publisher Johnny Temple about the state of the left in today’s United States. 12–1 pm • AV Room

Celebrating the inimitable “voiceprint” of the iconic Barbadian poet. Featuring Kelly Baker Josephs, Vladimir Lucien and Philip Nanton. 12 pm–1 pm • Old Fire Station

A special series of short films on Caribbean writers in Canada: My Dinner with Shani: Shani Mootoo Gardening with Olive: Olive Senior Fabulous Spaces: Nalo Hopkinson Directed by Frances-Anne Solomon... Read More

New books by four Trinidadian writers make their debut. Featuring: Burn, by Andre Bagoo (Shearsman Books) The Ten-Days Executive, by Rhoda Bharath (Peepal Tree Press) Swallowing the Sky, by Lisa... Read More

Music, traditional Carnival characters, even a magician, to liven up your Sunday afternoon! Featuring Idrees Salim as the Midnight Robber; Kimmy Stoute-Robinson as the Pierrot Grenade; entertainment by DMAD Company; magic... Read More

Danielle Delon talks about her journey towards documenting the built heritage of T&T in her work in progress Bridges of Trinidad and Tobago 2–3 pm • 1st Floor Seminar Room

Bim, dir. Hugh Robertson. The classic and beloved T&T film, with a screenplay by Raoul Pantin and soundtrack by Andre Tanker. 3.00–5.00 pm • AV Room

The poetry, fiction, and non-fiction winners read from their work, introduced by Marjorie Thorpe, vice-chair of the judging panel. 5–6 pm • Old Fire Station

It’s T&T’s biggest poetry event of the year, bringing the 2015 festival to a rip-roaring close. Advance tickets available or pay at the door.  6–8 pm • Globe Theatre, Park... Read More