Calabash International Literary Festival

The Calabash International Literary Festival is a three-day festival in Jamaica staged on a biennial basis on even years (having been held annually in its first decade).[1] It was founded in 2001 by novelist Colin Channer, with support from poet Kwame Dawes and producer Justine Henzell; Channer resigned at the end of 2010, saying in his explanation: "The ultimate goal of leadership must never be its own survival, but to become obsolete. I am glad this time has come."[2] The current incarnation of the festival was described in April 2016 as "an affirmation of the steady movement towards an unfolding of a vision of something that began modestly, but full of hope and giddy ambition 15 years ago".[3]

Now acknowledged as "a world-class literary festival", Calabash takes place in the village of Treasure Beach on Jamaica's south coast.[4] Among the international authors who have taken part are Salman Rushdie, Zadie Smith, Jamaica Kincaid, Colum McCann,[5][6] Wole Soyinka, Derek Walcott, Junot Diaz, Michael Ondaatje, Elizabeth Alexander, Russell Banks, Edwidge Danticat, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Caryl Phillips, Linton Kwesi Johnson, and many others.[7] An anthology entitled Much Things to Say: 100 Poets from the First Ten Years of the Calabash International Literary Festival was published in 2010.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Info", Calabash.
  2. ↑ Annie Paul, "An Exemplary Resignation: Colin Channer and Calabash", Active Voice, 11 January 2013.
  3. ↑ Mel Cooke, "Calabash Come To Fruu-Ish-Aan", Jamaica Gleaner, 14 April 2016.
  4. ↑ "Booking round the islands: Caribbean literary festivals", Caribbean Beat, Issue 120 (March/April 2013).
  5. ↑ Robert Beatty, "Calabash Literary Festival Seen as Tribute to Caribbean Creativity", South Florida Times, 12 June 2014.
  6. ↑ Emma Love, "Celebrating Literature, Jamaican Style", Condé Nast Traveller, October 2014.
  7. ↑ "Jamaica’s Calabash International Literary Festival 2014", ARC magazine, 20 April 2014.
  8. ↑ Geoffrey Philp, "10th Annual Calabash International Literary Festival", geoffreyphilp.blogspot, 22 April 2010.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, April 24, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.