News – Alliouagana Festival of the Word

Tracing Montserrat’s History Through Arrow’s Lyrics is focus of 2020 Memorial Lecture Series

How did one of Arrow’s earliest songs change Montserrat calypso? Was there really a Jean Under the Bed?

These questions are asked and answered in the upcoming Alphonsus “Arrow” Cassell Memorial Lecture Series scheduled to premiere on Thursday, November 19, 2020 on the Alliouagana Festival of the Word Facebook page.

The festival has gone virtual this year and so has the lecture series. In tribute to the 10^th anniversary of Arrow’s passing, a panel of cultural experts will discuss Tracing Montserrat’s History Through Arrow’s Lyrics. The panel comprises journalist and calypsonian Edwin “Red Ride” Martin, ZJB Radio Station Manager and Calypso Commentator Herman Sargeant, and ZJB Radio Morning Show Host Basil Chambers.

The trio will discuss Arrow’s music from his start as a young calypsonian, his transition to soca and becoming a global star. They will analyse his lyrics and connect it to Montserrat’s broader socio-economic story. Martin leads the 50-minute conversation, which will stream from 7:30PM online. Read More

Familiar Faces Read Caribbean Children’s Books for Good Night Montserrat

Minister of Agriculture Crenston Buffonge is one of the readers for the Good Night Montserrat series.

A vervet monkey named Chee Chee, a little boy who loves masquerade and a pig who lives on the beach are some of the characters which feature in the Good Night Montserrat reading series.

Good Night Montserrat is a new addition to the Alliouagana Festival of the Word programme for the virtual 2020 edition, which began on Sunday November 15 and runs until Sunday, November 22 nightly at 7PM on the festivals Facebook page.

“The focus was two-fold, the literary festival page has a small audience on Facebook, and we wanted to create content which would bring attention to the upcoming festival. Children are an important part of the focus of the festival and as it is virtual, we wanted to create multiple short bursts of entertainment which parents could share with them each night,” explained festival organizer Nerissa Golden of Goldenmedia.

Over the coming week, ten books will be featured primarily from authors who publish with CaribbeanReads, a small imprint out of St. Kitts. “We are pleased to support the literary festival and the Good Night Montserrat series. An important part of CaribbeanReads’ mission is to increase the stock of quality, interesting, relevant, and intellectually accessible books available to Caribbean children. We believe that providing Caribbean children with books set in the Caribbean is one key to capturing the upcoming generation, channelling their energies, and shaping a successful future for them. To this end our books are all either representative of Caribbean culture or written by Caribbean authors,” said the publisher Carol Mitchell.

Sunday night’s readings of Chee Chee in Paradise was by reigning Miss Montserrat Janet Turner, while Wilbur the

Miss Teen Montserrat Rodine Daley (right) and 1st Runner Up Girandi Alcala

Beach Pig: Remember When was presented by Miss Teen Montserrat Rondine Daley.

Other notable faces who will be reading nightly are Minister of Agriculture Crenston Buffonge, Morning Show Host Basil Chambers, businesswoman Lorraine Lewis and the incomparable Rose Willock, OBE, OE.

The readings were recorded at Chez Mango Villa and Iris Way Villa with support of the Government Information Unit.

The Alliouagana Festival of the Word will begin Friday, November 20 at 10AM on Facebook.com/afwlitfest. It can also be viewed on the Discover Montserrat YouTube channel. Main sponsors for Good Night Montserrat are the Montserrat Arts Council, Goldenmedia, Governor’s Office and Caribbean Reads.

About Caribbean Reads

CaribbeanReads is a St. Kitts-based publishing company which has been producing children’s books since 2009. We began with a single title, Adventure at Brimstone Hill by founder Carol Mitchell and now have more than fifty titles including softcover, hardcover, eBooks, audio books, and foreign language editions. Our children’s books range in target age from kindergarten to young adult and include two prize-winning titles and activity books. Our books can be found in schools, bookstores, libraries, and homes in almost every island in the Caribbean, the US, the UK, Canada, Denmark, and Australia.

Learn How to Write and Promote Your Book at Alliouagana Festival of the Word

Aspiring writers will have a chance to learn how to write their first children’s book as well as promote it during this week’s Alliouagana Festival of the Word Nov 20 – 22, 2020.

The festival, which will be held virtually for the first time, opens on Friday morning at 10AM and the workshops will air on Saturday from 10AM until 12:30PM.

The first workshop with author and children’s publisher Carol Mitchell will be on How to Write Your First Children’s Book and will be live on the Facebook page. Viewers will be able to ask questions of the presenter and follow along as she guides them through the steps from idea to publication.

Starting at 11AM Author and Writing instructor, A-dZiko Simba Gegele will present on Exploring the Black Lives Movement as a Catalyst for Creative Writing. This is a lead up to a more extensive workshop that writers can sign up to participate in at no additional cost in the coming weeks. Read More

Montserrat’s 12th Alliouagana Festival of the Word Begins Friday

Poetry and Spoken Word will feature heavily in the 12^th edition of Montserrat’s literary festival, which begins on Friday, November 20 until Sunday, November 22, 2020 online.

The Alliouagana Festival of the Word will be 100% virtual this year considering restrictions on public gatherings on island.

Curated and hosted by Nerissa Golden of Goldenmedia LLC, the festival features several first-time authors as well as a few veterans. New authors to be introduced are Montserratians Myrle Roach and Patricia C. Daway, Tamara Groeneveldt of St. Martin and Dion Johnson from the United Kingdom/Jamaica. Author of more than 22 books Sharmen Greenaway will discuss her latest work which looks at preserving Montserrat’s dialect.

Enter the MVO Creative Competition for #AFWLITFEST

Unrest in Montserrat is the theme of this year’s creative competition sponsored by the Montserrat Volcano Observatory.

The MVO in partnership with the Alliouagana Festival of the Word is offering cash prizes and the opportunity for winners to be featured during this year’s virtual event slated for November 20 – 22, 2020.

The competition encourages participants to share their stories of the island during the period of volcanic eruptions which began in 1995. The Soufrière Hills volcano eruption caused or exacerbated distresses and vulnerabilities within the community, and promoted social and political unrest, such as: Read More

Montserrat’s 2020 Alliouagana Festival of the Word Goes Virtual

BRADES, Montserrat – The 12th edition of the Alliouagana Festival of the Word will be its first virtual experience. Slated for November 20-22, 2020, the literary event has brought to the island many notable authors since its inception. This year, authors, artists and ARTivists will join the conversation virtually to explore the theme Words & Art in Activism.

Some of the activities slated for the event and the days leading up to it, include Good Night Montserrat, a storytelling showcase by notable Montserratian figures, who will read books curated by Caribbean Reads, a regional publishing company. Other highlights will be workshops on Writing a Children’s Book with Carol Mitchell, Effective Book Promotion Strategies with expert LaShaunda Hoffman, and Using Social Media for Change with several cultural and social influencers.