The Calabash experience

“Calabash – the only place were you would find a lesbian poet, a former Prime Minister who owns a football team, and the slackest man in Jamaica.” One of the Calabash founders, referring to Staceyann Chin, Edward Seaga, and Anthony Winkler.
What was it about this year’s Calabash that still causes its many images and tones [...]

Writers’ Block: Geoffrey Philp & Marlon James

Geoffrey Philp
Jamaican poet, novelist, and fellow blogger, Geoffrey Philp, will be reading from his latest collection, Who’s Your Daddy?: And Other Stories, at this year’s annual Calabash International Literary Festival.
“To be invited to read with this the select group of writers at the Calabash International Literary Festival is an honor that I will always cherish,” [...]

Writers’ Block: Staceyann Chin & Millicent Graham

Staceyann Chin
Jamaican-born. Spoken word poet. Activist. Writer. Performer. New Yorker. Sassy.
Expect to hear the latter quality infusing Ms. Chin’s performance at this year’s Calabash Literary Festival, where she will read from her memoir, The Other Side of Paradise.
In his review, Walter Mosley describes Ms. Chin’s memoir as
“…a heartbreaking feat of unflinching memory and language. Set [...]

Countdown to Calabash

Are you ready for the literary smörgåsbord that will be dished out at the 2009 Calabash Literary Festival from May 22-24 at Jake’s Resort in Treasure Beach?
The line-up looks yummy, and features the likes of Staceyann Chin, Millicent Graham, Edwidge Danticant, Geoffrey Philp, Junot Diaz, Anthony Winkler, George Lamming, Kwame Dawes, Velma Pollard, Melvin Van [...]

The Calabash beat goes on!

When I first heard the news over this weekend that Calabash was slated to be cancelled, I was stunned. I simply couldn’t imagine that happening.
However, through a united effort among the Caribbean community, the literary festival has been revived.
Just goes to show what a combination of hearts, hands, minds – not to mention, moolah – [...]