#bocas2017

[novelniche]

Happy Birthday to Andre Bagoo, whose beautiful Pitch Lake is brand new at Paper Based. I've never felt so brightly about a book of poems named for the deepest dark. #pitchlake #obsidian #newpoetry #peepaltreepress #booklaunch #poemstagram #bocas2017 (at Paper Based Bookshop)

[womenspeak]

It’s gonna be a transformative event. Use “Your Story” as a tool to advocate for yourself and for other women. 

[7-generation]

Bocas from my view (A synopsis of my experiences at the event) #Bocas2017

Bocas is an event that has grown into something that has become very close to heart because of its alignment with my aspirations as a writer. However it has proven to me over the years to be more than a space for budding writers but a place where any ordinary citizen can expand their knowledge and awareness of Caribbean Literature, Art and Cultural expression. The event was first introduced to me by my current practicum teacher in 2015 and although teaching was not the initial career path I would have chosen for myself it is on this path that I have discovered a space that is now playing a major role in shaping my views as Caribbean person.

What I learned and discovered is that Bocas is the place that any budding or aspiring writer, artist, poet, practicing teacher, and any Caribbean citizen with a thirst for knowledge of self needs to be. Unfortunately like many great spaces for social and intellectual growth in Trinidad and Tobago Bocas finds itself mostly under the radar. It is not an event that is heavily supported or promoted by government bodies or major media houses but with the rate at which it is growing I see this changing very soon.

One of the major lessons I have learnt in my life is that people are people. All types of media whether social, televised, printed on paper or broadcasted over the radio may sometimes present a certain image of particular individuals holding positions deemed as respectable by those in society. This may cause the viewer or listener to get a one dimensional perspective and form conclusions on what they may have seen or heard. By meeting a person on a one on one basis we may soon discover that they are people just like us facing real and personal issues and trying to make sense of what life is presenting to them at the moment. During the event I had the opportunity to sit in on a one on one discussion with the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Dr Keith Rowley at the Old Fire Station. The interviewer called him Prime Minister but he simply replied by saying “I am not a prime minister I am a geologist�� to which the audience responded with laughter. On television and social media the Prime Minister may be compared to a raging Pit-bull but the person I saw seemed quite timid, soft spoken and charismatic. I am aware that there are many pressing issues in the country at the moment but sometimes we tend to forget that the people who are selected to solve the problems are only human. I also discovered that just like me the Prime Minister is a developing writer. We all have different reasons for writing, Keith Rowley knew very little about writing a book but he wrote his memoirs so that people most importantly his children could know who he was before his career as a minister.

Drawing from the events that I was selected to attend I would say that the high points for me were the CLR James film, The CODE Burt’s Award Winner’s Showcase and The Writer’s Lab. The CLR James film was an eye opener for me because I was able to learn that a writer’s career can stretch beyond pen and paper and that a writer can influence and help change a society for the better. The discussion with the winners of the CODE Burt’s Awards helped me to understand that creativity can be a challenge for even the most experienced individuals and that creating content for young adults is no easy task. At The writer’s Lab participants had the opportunity to workshop their writings under the supervision of a published author. My only criticism of the events is that they could have been done on a larger scale but as I said in my earlier blog posts it is a start and I great start indeed.

When it comes to Caribbean Literature, Art and Cultural Expression Bocas is the place to be however the festival I would say is still very much hidden in plain sight. None the less being a part of it especially as a blogger this time around is confirmation for me that a future in writing is a strong possibility and that there are people in places that are willing and capable of helping individuals gain a better understanding of the society in which they live whether this be through a piece of poetry, published novel or work of art.    

[7-generation]

Crime and punishment #bocas2017

As T&T struggles with a growing crime problem, is our criminal justice system helping matters, or making them worse? Justice Gillian Lucky debates the question with criminologist Ramesh Deosaran, teacher and writer Debbie Jacob, and scholar Baz Dreisinger; chaired by Francesca Hawkins 11am - 12.30pm *Old Fire Station Port of Spain #bocas2017 

[7-generation]

CODE’S Burt Award (Winner’s Showcase)  No better time to write #Bocas 2017

The Code Burt’s Award is a literary award and readership initiative that recognises excellence in young adult literature and provides young readers with engaging books that they want to read. This year’s showcase on April 27th 2017 featured finalist Author from left Lisa Allen-Agostini, Kevin Jared Hosein both from Trinidad and Viviana Prado-Nunez of San Juan Puerto Rico who’s book The Art of white roses claimed first place among the authors. Hosein claimed second with The Beast of Kukuyo and Agostini third with Waiting on the Bus. Hosted by literary and CODE’s Burt Award judge Barry Goldblatt the event not only included  a live reading by each author but they were also able to expand on their experiences and challenges writing for young adult readers. Writing for young adults is no simple task; it requires one to place themselves within the shoes of a developing adolescent. Third place awardee Agostini added that writing for young adults is much different from writing for adults for one,“You can’t curse” and the issues faced by adults are much different than young adults who may deal with adult situations differently. Hosein sees writing for young adults as a good way to get them reading. Hosein who is also a Science teacher wrote his first book for teenagers with the intention of getting them reading. Vivian expressed the challenge of capturing the moment and insecurities of growing up as a young adult without being too preachy or overpowering, in other words one should try to be more relatable when writing to a young adult audience.

Perhaps the most engaging segment of the evening was the discussions on publishing and how the Caribbean writer or author is viewed by the foreign publisher. A local writer may tend to believe that those outside the Caribbean shores view us as small minded or misunderstand the messages and the topics that we explore in our writing. This may cause the local writer to shy away from publishing with larger houses and staying within their homeland. Although this may be true in some parts there is much evidence that times are changing.  In fact now is the best time for new writers to emerge and take on the world. There is much going on in the world as we speak that is affecting all regions in some way, Donald Trump’s knife edge presidency and his unstable relationship with Russian President Vladimur Putin , Isis attacks, racism, police brutality and the crime situation. The shield that covers the cool and sunny environment of the Caribbean is crackling under the pressure of world events and now is the time to speak up because the world wants to hear our perspective.

When asked about their personal challenges with publishing and how they overcame this Vivaina added that one must master the pitch. There is nothing like a great presentation to get people interested in reading your book, condensing your story goes a long way. She also mentioned that one must be aggressive and never give up, rejection is part of it. The most important thing is the writing one can focus on publishing but at the end of the day the writing has to get done.

[7-generation]

Artist Kwynn Johnson discusses her drawing on Derek Walcotts’s play The Haytian Earth installed in the Library During the festival 1:30-2pm AV Room Foyer #Bocas 2017

[7-generation]

Every Cook Can Govern, A must see #Bocas2017

One article is not enough to explain the contents of this film and saying that it was interesting or amazing would be an understatement. For me it was definitely an eye opening experience and sparked more questions in my mind about the state of younger generations in terms of literary awareness. Cyril Lionel Robert James was a man who questioned his reality, a true scholar, artist, writer and revolutionary among other titles who, surprisingly finds himself massively under the radar among his own. Unfortunately or maybe fortunately I am one who has found himself within this realm of detachment to those who have paved the way for me as a young man in today’s Caribbean society. I say fortunately because maybe this experience was an opportunity to change this, maybe this is an opportunity to find something to hold on too. Maybe this film is a sign of a shift in perspective among younger populations and within myself.  

It was a film met by a truly deserved round of applause by its audience. Structured in a documentary format it strategically explored not only the works of James but also his thinking processes and various topics he explored throughout his career as a writer. I would describe him as a natural analyst and it was this ability that spurred his thinking and most definitely his pen because with it he explored and tackled concepts and issues such as racial inferiority which he believed to be a myth, class an issue he skilfully explored through his writing on cricket, his experiences with racism during the world wars, white abolitionist who he was highly critical of, communism, human civilisation and its march towards freedom. More popularised for his writings on cricket James was never a man interested in politics but when the world went political he went with it. He was particularly against Stalinism or Communist ideals and he defeated these ideals in many parts through his writings. In the 1930’s he travelled to London where he challenged British Nationalism and conquered Imperial Britain. James was not just an artist and a revolutionary he was an artist who became a revolutionary.

I did not choose to view this film however it was my duty to do so but while sitting in the front row on the far left near the curtains the thought came to me, “This room is too small.” Is was too small because I felt as though it was something that should have been showcased at a place where the most possible persons could view it, not within the confinements of an audio visual room within the National Library’s basement, none the less it’s a start. After viewing my general feelings is that more persons especially around my age and much younger should see it at as well. His books should be on the curriculum and more accessible in schools across the county. Throughout our schooling in Trinidad and Tobago we are bombarded with the works of V.S. Naipaul whom many believe to have an extremely narrow view on Trinidadian society. This does not mean that the works of Naipaul should not be explored but I believe it is possible to look at Naipaul and James comparatively to expand the views of our students especially at the secondary level.

James is a man that can be analysed from numerous angles. What resonated with me after viewing the film was James’ ability to take seemingly simple topics and use them to explore deeper concepts. In beyond a boundary James uses Cricket to explore issues of race and class among colonials. In his memoirs about the game he explains that during the 1950’s, 60’s and some time before cricket was an upper class English sport and was ruled by the whites, in fact only whites could become captains on the team even though over time the teams became populated with more black men. In the 1950’s James led a campaign which further led to the appointment of the first black captain of the West Indies team Sir Frank Mortimer Worrell.

C.L.R  James was a revolutionary that never compromised, an internationalist who believed in human liberation both physically and mentally, a man of class but never afraid to get down and dirty with his pen. He understood that true democracy and freedom comes from within and trying to obtain these things through war was not the answer. He was a man who today remains timeless. Obviously with the amount of topics expressed within this document one can possibly find oneself writing the length of a bottomless pit which is why I will keep it short for now. However I will definitely be recommending this film to my peers because I believe it is a film that must be seen.