Literary Festival

Antigua and Barbuda International Literary Festival

The Antigua and Barbuda International Literary Festival offers outstanding authors, interesting workshops and lively discussions in a beautiful beach side setting in Antigua.

Past authors have included Jamaica Kincaid, Eric Jerome Dickey, Junot Diaz, Victoria Rowell, Althea Prince, Marie-Elena John, Sherilynn Kenyon, Nalo Hopkinson, Tananarive Due, Steven Barnes, Donna Hill, Mary B. Morrison and many more.

From Nov. 3-5, 2011, the Caribbean nation of Antigua & Barbuda will welcome a distinguished array of Caribbean, African-American, and British authors and publishers to its shores for its fourth International Literary Festival.

The three days of workshops, readings and performances will take place at various venues on the island’s northwestern side.

Among the featured literary guests of 2010 were:

•   Guyanese poet and children’s author John Agard
•   Grenadan author Dawne Allette
•   Barbadian children’s author Jason Cole
•   Jamaican dancehall artist and author Macka Diamond
•   Publisher Linda Duggins from Hachette Books
•   American children’s author Monique Duncan
•   Belizian author Zee Edgell
•   Jamaican poet and novelist Lorna Goodison
•   American actress and author Pam Grier
•   Antiguan author Joanne Hillhouse
•   Antiguan author Marie-Elena John
•   American novelist Bernice McFadden
•   Guyanese poet Grace Nichols
•   Trinidadian author Elizabeth Nunez
•   Barbadian poet Esther Phillips
•   Grenadan publisher and author Verna Wilkins

Among other Antiguan authors that will be involved in the Festival are novelist Marcel Marshall, non-fiction author Koren Norton, poet Carolyn Matthew-Nation, novelist Floree Williams, and historian/photographer Andy Williams.

The Festival begins with a Children’s Reading Convocation on Thursday morning, 4 November, where the visiting authors will present a program of reading activities and fun to 500 primary school students at the Multipurpose Cultural Centre in St. John’s. In the afternoon, primary school teachers will attend a workshop titled “Leading to Reading, Read to Success” with Verna Wilkins.
Thursday evening the focus will be on poetry, with a special “Poetry Evening” held in conjunction with the newly organized Antigua & Barbuda Young Poets Society.

All Festival attendees and the general public are invited to this evening of impromptu poetry readings, to be held at a venue yet to be determined.

For Youth Day on Friday, 5 November, students selected from the nation’s secondary schools will participate in hands-on workshops held by noted authors at the Halcyon Cove by Rex Resort. At the end of the day, the winners of the Short Story Competition hosted by the New York City-based Friends of the Antigua Public Library (FOAPL) will be announced. General workshops will also be held during the day.

On Friday evening, noted American actress and author Pam Grier will be the center of attention at a gala “Dinner and a Movie” event at Sandals Grande Antigua. During the evening, Ms. Grier will talk about her new autobiography, “Foxy: My Life in Three Acts,” and her most lauded film, “Jackie Brown,” will be shown. This is a major fundraiser for the Festival, and tickets are available at $250 EC per person.

The Festival Village, featuring workshops, book reading and signings, will be held on Saturday, 6 November, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Anchorage Inn. These and other activities including the Western Union Children’s Tent with children’s authors reading from their books, a food demonstration tent, book sales, and food and drink vendors, will be open to the public. A special lunch featuring Antiguan authors will take place at the Anchorage Inn restaurant.

The Festival will officially close on Sunday evening, 7 November, with a “LitFest Fete” featuring Macka Diamond and noted Antiguan soca and reggae performers. This fundraiser, with admission set at $40 EC per person, will be held at the new Splash Antigua events centre near Ft. James beach.

A “Booklovers in Paradise” all-inclusive hotel package at the Halcyon Cove by Rex Resort is being offered to attendees from outside Antigua. For a cost of $650 per person, attendees’ receive 4 nights’ accommodations, all meals and drinks, airport transfers and admission to the Festival workshops and events (excluding the Friday night fundraising dinner).

All interested travelers or travel agents should contact Carib World Travel at 268-480-2999, email parthurton@candw.ag or sign up online at www.antigualitfest.com. For those who want to attend the Festival without taking advantage of the hotel package, a fee of $60 U.S. will get them admission to all events included in the hotel package. Advance registration is available online at www.antigualitfest.com

Among the sponsors of the Festival enlisted to date are www.Search Antigua.com, the Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Ministry, the Baltimore Times, Carib-World Travel, Western Union, Pearson, Virgin Atlantic, the Antigua & Barbuda School Board, and Antigua Nice.
For more information on the Antigua & Barbuda International Literary Festival, call K.C. Nash at 268-723-7740.

For more information, visit: www.antigualitfest.com