‘The pendulum has swung’: Why we female Trinidadian writers are having our moment

Monique Roffey, the Costa-winning author of The Mermaid of Black Conch, on the lit-boom that’s happening on the Caribbean islandLast week, Trinidadian writer Lisa Allen-Agostini’s novel The Bread the Devil Knead landed a coveted spot on the Women’s prize shortlist. As a fellow Trinidadian writer, this is both exciting and unsurprising. These days Trinidad is producing world-class female writers hand over fist. Allen-Agostini’s shortlisting comes on the heels of the announcement, two weeks ago, that Trinidadian writer Amanda Smyth had made the Walter Scott prize for historical fiction shortlist, the only woman on the list, and the first Caribbean writer ever to be chosen. Meanwhile, Celeste Mohammed has become the fifth woman (and third Trinidadian woman) to win Trinidad’s regional OCM Bocas prize.Something has happened in Trinidad, in our small but dense hothouse of a literary world. Perhaps it’s 12 years of the Bocas literary festival, or five waves of feminism, or maybe it’s to do with the internet opening up opportunities for those from developing countries, but in the last decade Trinidad has produced a host of outstanding female writers. It’s a trend that anyone in Caribbean literary circles knows about. Myself, Smyth, Allen-Agostini, Mohammed and others are part of a “lit-boom”, and most of this boom is female. We are finding ourselves on the global stage, on prestigious shortlists in North America and the UK. This huge generational and gender shift would have been... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2022-05-03 13:03:34 UTC ]
News tagged with: #black conch #coveted spot #prize shortlist #literary world #developing countries #global stage #historical fiction

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Got writer's block? Lin-Manuel Miranda has a playlist for you

If you’re afflicted with writer's block, “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda doesn't want you throwing away your shot — and he's made a Spotify playlist to help you put pen to paper. The Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright revealed his literary-themed playlist, titled "Write Your Way Out," on... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2017-03-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Marina Warner becomes RSL's first female president

The Royal Society of Literature has elected Marina Warner as its first female president. Continue reading at The Bookseller

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At London Book Fair: Hay Festival Names ‘Århus 39’ Writers

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Virago and The Pool launch new crime writer award

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9 Essential Books by Arab Writers

Author and PW reviews director Louisa Ermelino selects nine essential books by Arab authors, including "Confessions" by Rabee Jaber, "Lovers of Algeria" by Anouar Benmalek, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

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Sara Baume | 'You don't really call yourself a writer until you have a book published'

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Italian writer Elena Varvello to publish with Two Roads

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Sarah McIntyre appointed BookTrust’s Writer-Illustrator in Residence

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AWP 2017: Writers Take to the Streets of Washington, D.C.

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AWP 2017: Keynoter Azar Nafisi Urges Writers to Resist Tyranny

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Ebury does two-book deal with romance writer Mandy Baggot

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British music writer Mark Fisher dies aged 48

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Writers Resist Protest Brings Thousands to NYPL, Trump Tower

More than 2,000 artists, writers, and readers gathered at the steps of the New York Public Library on January 15. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

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