Editors from around the region, the BVI and Bermuda, gathered in Guyana recently for the first Caribbean Literature Action Group (CaribLit) residential, fiction-editing workshop.
According to a CaribLit press release, the workshop, held from January 18 to 22, was part of an ongoing region-wide project to develop publishing skills in the Caribbean and support Caribbean books and writers. It was supported by Commonwealth Writers, the British Council and the Canadian Organisation for Development through Education (CODE).
The nine editors who participated used words such as “a phenomenal experience”, “life-enhancing” and “inspiring,” to describe the workshop, the press release said.
The workshop was led by Jeremy Poynting of Peepal Tree Press (UK) and Johnny Temple of Akashic Books (USA), the two largest publishers of Caribbean literature.
Rukhsana Yasmin of Commonwealth Writers, principal founding partner of CaribLit together with the British Council and the Bocas Lit Fest, was also at the workshop and declared herself “impressed with the calibre of the editors who took part,” the release said. It noted that she added, “Publishing is a sector with potential to contribute significantly to the economy, as well as enriching people’s experiences.”
