Brooklyn, NY – The Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival (BCLF) is set to illuminate Brooklyn with its sixth edition, scheduled for September 5-8, 2024. This year’s festival, themed ‘Faces of the Caribbean,’ promises to be a vibrant celebration of Caribbean culture and literature, featuring a remarkable lineup of authors, scholars, and cultural figures. The festival will spotlight Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Chairman of the CARICOM Reparations Commission, alongside an illustrious roster of literary talent. The event will welcome Haitian-American luminaries Edwidge Danticat and Roxane Gay, who will launch Danticat’s highly anticipated collection of essays, We’re Alone (Graywolf Press, 2024). Trinidadian journalist and author Dr. Dominic Kalipersad will share the stage with Dr. Kevin Adonis Browne, while P. Djèlí Clark, a recipient of the Locus Award, will make a celebrated return. US Virgin Islands-born Tiphanie Yanique joins the festival for the first time, and Richard Georges, the British Virgin Islands’ inaugural poet laureate, will conduct a poetry workshop.
Other notable guests include Angie Cruz, Kellie Magnus, Jasmine Sealy, Alscess Lewis-Brown, Heather Archibald, Christina Cooke, Lisa Allen-Agostini, Jive Poetic, Rico Frederick, Mervyn Taylor, Yesha Townsend, Yesenia Montilla, Lauren Alleyne, Mercy Tullis-Bukhari, Derron Sandy, Roberto Carlos Garcia, and Cleyvis Natera. The festival will showcase their diverse and dynamic contributions to Caribbean literature, enriching the cultural landscape of Brooklyn.
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In an exciting development, this year’s festival will extend its reach beyond the official dates with a series of pre- and post-event collaborations. On August 8, BCLF will team up with Akashic Books for a conversation at Greenlight Bookstore featuring Bill “Blade” Howell and Roland Watson-Grant discussing Howell’s new book, Pinnacle: The Lost Paradise of Rasta. The festival will also participate in the Brooklyn Book Festival, in partnership with the Center for Fiction, on September 29, where Esmeralda Santiago, Barbara Jenkins, and Lorna Goodison will engage in a conversation moderated by Lauren Francis-Sharma.
The BCLF Short Fiction Story Contest will unveil its 2024 winners and finalists, showcasing the outstanding work of Caribbean-descended writers from both the region and the diaspora. The contest, now among the most prestigious for Caribbean writers, celebrates the voices that contribute to the rich tapestry of Caribbean literature.
The theme ‘Faces of the Caribbean’ highlights the diverse identities, traditions, and experiences that define Caribbean culture. The festival aims to explore and celebrate this diversity, bringing together a spectrum of voices and perspectives to enrich the dialogue around Caribbean literature and its global significance.
The festival is supported by a range of sponsors, including The Hawthornden Foundation, The Center for Fiction, NYU, Ten to One Rum, The Security Zone (Trinidad & Tobago), and Akashic Books. Trinidad-based Patrick Rasoanaivo & Chasing the Caribbean have conceptualized the festival’s branding and graphic image.
