British actor Tom Pritchard who plays a ruthless businessman in HAMAFilms Antigua’s Deep Blue, will be appearing at the film’s advanced screening this Thursday, November 17, 2022, at the Montserrat Cultural Centre.
Deep Blue is the feature film for the Alliouagana Festival of the Word’s (AFW LitFest) Movie Night, which kicks off the three-day literary event. Read More
St. Martin linguist and author Dr. Rhoda Arrindell is to discuss how the preservation of our dialects is necessary for nation building at this year’s Alphonsus “Arrow” Memorial Lecture.
The lecture named after Montserrat’s most famous entertainer and national hero, Arrow, will be held on Friday, November 18 at 6PM online.
“Language as Protest: How does preserving our dialects serve as a tool for nation building? Is the topic of the main panel discussion,” shared Nerissa Golden, Coordinator of the Alliouagana Festival of the Word. “We are excited about this discussion which brings together three women who believe strongly in language as a part of our culture and our identity?”
Dr. Arrindell is a former minister of education, culture, sports & youth affairs for the Government of St. Maarten and the founder of the Institute for Language Research and Development and the United Academy. While in office, she obtained a doctorate in English, specializing in Caribbean linguistics from the University of Puerto Rico and currently works as a consultant and teaches English at the University of The Bahamas.
In 2014, Dr. Arrindell released Language, Culture, and Identity (House of Nehesi Publishers, St. Martin).
Also on the panel is Ann Marie Dewar, an accomplished musician, singer, choral director, stage manager, creole poet, and costume maker. Ms. Dewar has been involved in the performing arts for over 50 years. She writes in the Montserratian Creole language, and her poetry has appeared in several local and international publications.
Moderating the panel will be immediate past Speaker of the Montserrat Legislative Assembly, Shirley Osborne. Ms. Osborne is a writer and an insatiable reader, a social entrepreneur, and a women’s leadership advocate. Most recently, she curated The Montserrat BrainTrust Alphabet Book, a picture book of the flora, fauna, culture and language of Montserrat.
Prior to the main panel, there will be a workshop by literacy specialist Deanne Whiskey-John.
Viewers can watch the panel discussion on Friday, November 18 from 6PM on the AFW LitFest Facebook page, and the Discover Montserrat YouTube channel.
Montserrat’s 14th edition of the literary festival is presented in partnership with Montserrat Arts Council, goldenmedia, Governor’s Office, Montserrat Public Library, and the Department of Environment.
Learn more about the Alliouagana Festival of the Word at litfest.ms.
The third and final day of the literary festival will be a packed one.
Following the 10AM Book launch of Sir Howard Fergus & Ian Gerald’s new books, will be the children’s book party and fun day for new projects by Montserratian author Roydenn Silcott and Trinidad & Tobago’s Coryn Anaya Clarke. Read More
Children seven to 14 are invited to write a short poem about reducing pollution in Montserrat.
This is a collaboration with the Department of Environment, within the Ministry of Agriculture.
The 14th edition of Montserrat’s Alliouagana Festival of the Word returns in November with a focus on children’s literature and language as protest and for nation building. Read More
The Alphonsus Cassell Foundation has begun plans to establish a museum in Montserrat, to recognize the legacy of the late soca king of the world and the island’s third national hero.
During last Friday’s AFW LitFest’s Alphonsus “Arrow” Cassell Memorial Lecture Series panel discussion, son Sawandi Cassell revealed that a non-profit foundation has been established to preserve their father’s music legacy.
Cassell was speaking during a discussion led by Head of The UWI Open Campus Montserrat Gracelyn Cassell on Preserving & Expanding Arrow’s Cultural Legacy. The panel also featured, Author Andrew Skerritt and Lawyer Warren Cassell.
The Montserrat National Trust is said to be working with the heirs of Arrow to set up the museum, which is to be located at the former Arrow’s Manshop in Davy Hill. Arrow’s second son, Sawandi explained that the location was chosen because of its accessibility. “Whether coming or leaving Montserrat, you must pass the shop,” he explained. There are also land covenant and access issues related to placing the museum where Arrow is currently buried at his home in Lime Kiln.
“We want to ensure the legacy of Arrow remains and we want the people of Montserrat to hold us accountable,” Sawandi said. “Arrow’s first love was Montserrat.”
Arrow’s son said his father had an epiphany. While he loved the social commentary and political topics which were prevalent in the popular calypso he sang, he wanted to make music the entire world could enjoy. His switch from calypso to soca, was the vehicle that he felt could do this. Read More
The Governor’s Office Presents Good Night Montserrat.
#AFWLitFest is brought to you by the Montserrat Arts Council, Goldenmedia, Governor’s Office, Digicel, Montserrat Public Library, Department of Environment, St. Patrick’s Cooperative Credit Union, and Friends of AFW LitFest.
For entertainment purposes only. Read More
The Alliouagana Festival of the Word organising committee is pleased to invite you to the Author’s Gala. This will be the closing night event for the 13th Annual literary festival and we hope you will join us.
The evening will feature readings and interviews with our guest authors.
This is a catered event and the dress code is Classy.
Music will be provided by Genysis Steel Orchestra.
Tickets are on sale at the Montserrat Arts Council office upstairs the Little Bay Market and at the Montserrat Public Library at the BBC complex in Brades.
BRADES, Montserrat – Journalist and calypsonian Edwin “Red Ride” Martin will release his latest work A Century of Montserrat Cricket at the upcoming Alliouagana Festival of the Word (AFW LitFest) in Montserrat which runs from November 18 to 20, 2021.
The 88-page magazine-style book will be one of seven featured releases at the festival’s Author Gala on Saturday, November 20 at the Montserrat Arts Council.
A Century of Montserrat Cricket chronicles the history of Montserrat’s national sports pastime over the past 108 years as 1913 marked the advent of the annual Leeward Islands Tournament. The book not only reveals the top cricket stars of the past century, but it also delves into other aspects such as how class, race and religion played a factor in the early years. The publication also includes rare photos, many feature stories, year-by-year results, annual lineups, and in-depth statistics.
“In 2013 while starting research on my book Stranded Batsman about our most famous cricket star Jim Allen, I visited the Hyde Cricket Club in Central England where Jim played in the late 1970s and early ’80s. The club provided me with a thick book that covered their history starting in 1901. Hyde is a small club, not a major club like Yorkshire, Lancashire, and others. But they still documented their history. I immediately thought to myself, ‘Why don’t we have a similar book about Montserrat cricket history?’ I decided that once I finished the book on Jim Allen that I would write a book on our entire cricket history. I began writing it in August of 2020 during the height of Covid and completed it in September of 2021,” Martin revealed.
The author, who has been a journalist since 1986, worked at the Miami Herald from 1986 to 2016. One of the highlights of his early career came in 1991 when he interviewed the NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan. In 2017, Martin published Stranded Batsman: The Jim Allen Story, his first major book. It has been critically praised by several publications, including CricketWeb.Net, which wrote: “Martin has done a splendid job of reconstructing Allen’s story. The story that Martin tells is a thought-provoking one, very well written and thoroughly researched.” Read More
Here’s your chance to be one of our readers for Good Night Montserrat.