It’s poetry season again, as the First Citizen’s National Poetry Slam begins its auditions on for the upcoming event on May 5. This year, there will be five auditions led at venues in Trinidad and Tobago, beginning on January 20. The Slam closes the week-long Bocas Literary Festival, being held this year from May 1 … Continue reading
“A Breath of Fresh Air: Poems of Encouragement and Inspiration” is the work of Bernard Bharat, who began writing the poems after recovering from total memory loss in 2013. The book contains almost 200 poems, which draw on the author’s life experiences and those of his family. The poems speak directly to the reader, covering … Continue reading
Canadian-born Trinbagonian poet and self-taught artist Nneka Edwards says the variety of experiences she has had has influenced the diversity of her poetry. She has self-published at least 25 books of poetry for both adults and children, with more set to be published in the near future. Originally published in the T&T Guardian July 17, … Continue reading
Spoken Word poetry and competition continue to increase in popularity, and participants are coming from all different ages and backgrounds. This year, the first ever Republic Bank National Primary School Spoken Word Showcase, presented in conjunction with the Two Cents Movement, saw 14 students from 11 schools showing off their skills. The students, aged nine … Continue reading
Art educator and poet Arielle John exudes an aura of intensity and focus, whether performing Spoken Word on stage, talking about human rights activism or her work with teenagers. It’s little wonder that she’s been accepted by the prestigious Goldsmith University, University of London, to pursue a Masters of Arts (MA) in Performance and Culture. … Continue reading
The NGC Bocas Literary Festival National Poetry Slam, always a special event, was further enhanced this year by the participation of Tourism Minister Shamfa Cudjoe, who performed her first ever Spoken Word poem as a guest at the show. Her poem, titled “What If These Children Knew?” encouraged children from troubled areas to rewrite their … Continue reading
Rhyme: An Evening of Poetry, Music and Cocktails, the first official event in the 2016 NGC Bocas Literary Festival calender was held on April 9. The event was put on by First Citizens Bank as a mixer for the finalists of the First Citizens National Poetry Slam, bank members and members of the literary community. … Continue reading
In celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD) 2016, UWE Speak, the spoken word/open mic student forum at UWI St. Augustine, held an event titled “Making HerStory” on March 9. The performances were powerful affirmations about what it means to be a woman, and also told of the struggles women go through on a daily basis. … Continue reading
Hurricanes and Wakes, the inaugural NGC Bocas Lit Fest event for 2016, featured readings of previously published work from Andre Bagoo, Shivanee Ramlochan and winner of the 2012 OCM Bocas Prize for Poetry, Puerto Rican poet, Loretta Collins Klobah. First was Ramlochan, who read “Shepherd Boxcutter 1,” “Shepherd Boxcutter 2” and “Caracara”, which were published … Continue reading
Indo-Caribbean Feminisms: A Literary Evening on November 6 showcased the work of Indo-Caribbean writers navigating their experience of Indianness. The event was hosted by the Institute of Gender and Development Studies following its two-day symposium on Indo-Caribbean Feminist Thought. Guardian columnist Aurora Herrara shared her story of discovering her Indian heritage in her 20’s, as … Continue reading
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