| On Sunday December 13, 2020, the newest CaribbeanReads’ book, Traditional Masquerade of St. Lucia by June Frederick was launched in conjunction with the St. Lucia Folk Research Center. The virtual event highlighted was hosted on Zoom and attendees were treated to a compelling description of the importance of St. Lucia’s masquerades.
The moderator spoke of the dearth of books on the topic. Three Youth in Arts (YIA) masqueraders gave impassioned accounts of their experiences with St. Lucia masquerade and the reasons they loved it. The first YIA member to speak was inspired by the history of the masquerade’s African roots and the fact that the performances were one form of non-violent resistance by enslaved people. Another member spoke of how taking part in the masqueraders helped her to become well-rounded and more open to ideas. |
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| The author, June Frederick spoke of her passion for championing St. Lucia’s traditional masquerade. She pointed out that the only way to truly appreciate our cultural art forms is to understand them, and that children learn when they enjoy what they are being taught. This means that by publishing a book that explores the traditional masquerades and gives instructions on how it can be performed, she has provided an avenue for teachers to engage their students in the performance of the masquerade and thereby generate excitement and love for the art. |
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| Artist, Alwyn St. Omer, whose work is featured in the book and on the cover was present. He spoke of the richness which the traditional masquerade adds to St. Lucia’s Christmas. This tradition has all but disappeared and he joins with Frederick in supporting its revival. Jonathan Gladding’s work is also featured in the resource book.
The event was also attended by Mrs. Frederick’s family and Dr. Didacus Jules, the Director General of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, who spoke about the role of literature in generating national pride. Copies of the book are available online, in St. Lucia, and directly from the publisher, CaribbeanReads. |
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Category Archives: Caribbean Lit News This Week
Book Launch – Traditional Masquerade of St. Lucia
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2020 Wrap Up
It’s coming to that time of year, the end of 2020. Our latest mailing highlighted some of the highlights of the CaribbeanReads’ year, including the books published, our starred Kirkus review, and more. Feel free to join our mailing list, it will bring joy to your mailbox. And as always, check out our catalog to get all your Christmas or holiday gifts, for young and older.
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Kirkus Reviews highlights Musical Youth
Earlier this year, starred review from Kirkus Reviews. This review has now been selected to be featured in Kirkus Reviews November 1 Issue and will appear as one of the 35 reviews in the Indie section of the magazine. We are very excited about the opportunity especially since less than 10% of Kirkus Indie reviews are chosen for this.
Read an excerpt from the publication here.
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Community at CaribbeanReads
CaribbeanReads now has worked with a community of more than fifteen authors (some listed here) and about as many illustrators throughout the Caribbean. We try to create a collaborative environment even as each of our authors pursues different paths in life. Continue reading
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** Starred ** Kirkus Review of Musical Youth
Receiving reviews is always a bit nerve-wracking. When you publish in a niche, there is always the chance that the reviewer completely misses the point of the book. That said, when we received notification that a Kirkus Review of Musical Youth by Joanne C. Hillhouse was available, we were excited to open it up. Continue reading
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Caribbean Middle Grade Book Writing Workshop
About one month ago, we put out a call for middle-grade books. We are looking for Caribbean-themed books aimed at 8-13 year old children. We also promised to hold writing workshops to guide interested authors to complete their work. Applications are now open to the first workshop. It will be held in November and the deadline for applications is October 15. The workshop will be taught by Carol Mitchell and will be free.
We want writers who are serious about producing a Caribbean-themed middle-grade novel. So if that’s you, please go to the application page by clicking on the Submit button below, read the requirements, and fill out the form. All applications will remain confidential. No names will be made public.
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EBook Reading Survey Results
Two weeks ago we released an audio and eBook survey and asked you to tell us about your e-reading habits. We had 100 respondents, not enough to make any conclusions, but here are some of the patterns that emerged.
First of all, of the people who responded, 58% live in the Caribbean, 34% are immigrants or first-generation in their homeland, and 8% had no familial connection to the Caribbean. Most of the respondents were between the ages of 36 and 64 years old. We divided the results among these groups, just to keep things interesting. Continue reading
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Tell us what you think!
In an effort to reach as many people as possible, CaribbeanReads makes its books available in print, eBooks, and some as audio books. We are interested in knowing how readers feel about the eBooks and audio books so we can better serve your needs.
We are polling our customers and readers in general about their attitudes and habits with respect to eBooks and audio books. It is anonymous and should not take more than a minute or two to complete. Thanks so much for participating.
Take the poll!
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First CaribbeanReads’ Reading Guide
 | Just in time for your next reading club, we have a discussion guide for Musical Youth by Joanne C. Hillhouse. This is a YA novel, but it’s enjoyed by adults as well. So whether you are a teen or an adult, your reading club will love this multi-cultural musical romance. The free reading guide contains a list of discussion questions for your book club and guidelines for using Musical Youth in the classroom. |
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CR Author Jo-Annah Richards launches a Poetry Book
Jo-Annah Richards was a contributor to our Christmas Anthology. We’re excited to learn about her latest publication.
Beautiful Chaos is Jo-Annah’s first collection of poetry and her second publication on Amazon.
With a passion of the Creative Arts, second time author, Jo-Annah Richards released an enchanting and eclectic collection of captivating poetry. The topics ranging from love to politics, with each poem effortlessly and vividly embodying the beauty and chaos.
Beautiful Chaos is available on Amazon
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