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  • Elisabeth Samsonhuis na jarenlange restauratie klaar voor nieuwe bestemming

    Elisabeth Samsonhuis na jarenlange restauratie klaar voor nieuwe bestemming

    After eight years of concerted effort led by a dedicated local foundation, the structural restoration of the iconic Elisabeth Samson House, located in the historic center of Paramaribo, Suriname, has reached completion. The landmark building was formally handed over to the Elisabeth Samson House Foundation following the conclusion of structural construction work on July 31, and will gradually enter partial use ahead of its official opening, which is scheduled for the completion of remaining interior fitting-out and site landscaping work.

    Standing at the intersection of Wagenwegstraat, Heerenstraat and Malebatrumstraat, the centuries-old building holds profound cultural and historical significance for Suriname. The project to rescue and restore the property spanned years of careful preparation, extensive fundraising, complex permitting processes, and hands-on construction work. Today, organizers say the once-at-risk monument has been saved for future generations.

    “This project proves that large-scale heritage preservation initiatives can succeed in Suriname when multiple stakeholders share responsibility and work toward a common goal,” explained Cynthia Mc Leod, award-winning author and chair of the Elisabeth Samson House Foundation. Mc Leod has spent decades championing the preservation of the building and raising public awareness of the remarkable life of Elisabeth Samson, after whom the house is named. She conducted extensive groundbreaking historical research into Samson, publishing her findings in 1993, before releasing a celebrated novel about Samson’s life, *The Free Black Woman Elisabeth: Prisoner of Color*, in 2000.

    Elisabeth Samson (1715–1771) was a free-born Black woman who built a successful business career and rose to become one of the wealthiest women in 18th-century Suriname. Her story will be the central focus of the new multi-purpose space hosted in the restored building.

    Under the foundation’s usage plan, the property will serve four core functions: a dedicated museum, a public cultural gathering space, office accommodation, and a new tourist attraction for visitors to Paramaribo. The first floor will house the Elisabeth Samson museum, fitted with period-appropriate historical furniture and curated historical displays. The ground floor will be transformed into a flexible multi-functional venue for lectures, educational workshops, and performing arts events. The second floor and attic have been designated for office space, while the basement is planned to host a hospitality operation. Revenue generated from office rentals, the hospitality venue, and tourist visits will fund long-term sustainable management and maintenance of the protected monument, ensuring it remains preserved for decades to come.

    The building itself carries a layered history of its own. In 1821, the colonial government purchased the property, which went on to host a range of public functions over the next two centuries, including a school, civil registry offices, and a popular wedding venue. From 1967 to 2012, it housed Suriname’s Ministry of Labor. After government agencies vacated the property, its future fell into uncertainty, as the neglected structure began to deteriorate.

    The Elisabeth Samson House Foundation was formally established in May 2018, and completed the purchase of the historic building in January 2021. Full-scale structural restoration work got underway in November 2022, addressing critical issues including the building’s load-bearing framework, roof, exterior facades, and flooring. Fit-out work, installation of modern technical infrastructure, security systems, and interior design work commenced in September 2024.

    The total investment for the full restoration and activation project totals approximately US$2.15 million. As of August 1, the foundation has secured US$1.84 million in pledged funding, and has spent roughly US$1.75 million on construction and early planning work. The foundation is still seeking additional funding to cover the remaining costs of interior fitting-out, site improvements, and initial operating costs ahead of opening. The project has already received financial support from a range of Surinamese and international organizations and individual donors.

    In the coming months, the foundation will gradually bring different parts of the building into use, with a grand official opening to follow once all remaining work is complete. For foundation leadership, the project is about more than preserving one historic building: it is intended to serve as a proof of concept for other at-risk heritage sites across Suriname. “Investing in heritage is investing in the future of Suriname,” the foundation noted.

  • Farmers explore new approaches as heat and other pressures challenge agriculture

    Farmers explore new approaches as heat and other pressures challenge agriculture

    Two regional agricultural knowledge-sharing events have wrapped up in Saint Lucia, leaving local producers excited to test innovative, climate-adaptive farming practices while calling for holistic solutions to the growing challenges of rising temperatures and shifting weather patterns. The second and concluding symposium, held August 14 at Orchid Garden in Union, Castries, brought together experienced farmers, agricultural engineers, and industry leaders to unpack tested, accessible strategies for boosting productivity amid a changing climate.

    For Fimbar Evans, a 10-plus-year veteran farmer who tends a half-acre plot of tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, peppers and tree crops, the event opened new doors to sustainable production. Already reaping the benefits of a drip irrigation system paired with rainwater harvesting that he installed in January, Evans says the method has cut down his labor time and reduced unnecessary water waste. Now, he is planning to add hydroponics to his operation.

    “I already have the space; I think I could adapt to try it,” Evans said, noting that the symposium’s focus on climate- and environmentally-resilient practices aligned directly with the on-the-ground challenges he faces, including increasingly hot growing conditions.

    The pair of symposiums were organized by Isratech, a Jamaica-based agricultural supplier and program facilitator that operates across the Caribbean region. The company is also preparing to launch a new local outlet in Saint Lucia in the near future to better serve producers on the island.

    At the closing event, Agricultural and Biosystems Engineer Faustinus Monero and Isratech Technical Director Arturo Ramirez walked attendees through a suite of modern farming methods that have already delivered positive results for producers across Saint Lucia and the broader Caribbean. Monero emphasized that all the techniques shared are tailored to the specific pain points that local farming communities currently navigate, which include water scarcity, extreme flooding driven by shifting climate patterns, rising pest pressures, and widespread labor shortages.

    The adaptive strategies covered during the discussions ranged from low-cost, accessible solutions to higher-tech systems: vegetable grafting, large-scale rainwater harvesting infrastructure, solar-powered irrigation pumps, soil nutrient management through composting, hydroponic growing systems, improved pest and disease identification protocols, and multiple efficient irrigation methods including drip, micro and sprinkler systems.

    Lindsay Daniel, an ornamental plant producer who grows roughly 700 varieties of air-purifying plants, cacti, succulents and palms, echoed Evans’ positive assessment of the symposium’s focus on efficient irrigation. For Daniel, who lives with physical challenges that make manual watering difficult, the increasingly hot conditions amplified by El Niño over the past two months have made frequent irrigation an exhausting burden. Learning about automated, efficient irrigation systems has simplified her work dramatically.

    “It is interesting to know how easy it is to turn a pipe on and take care of my plants,” Daniel said, highlighting how the event’s practical discussions address real on-farm needs.

    During open discussions at Friday’s symposium, farmers and agricultural stakeholders raised critical questions about the performance, drawbacks, and upfront costs of the new practices. Ramirez responded by reaffirming Isratech’s commitment to collaborating with local producers to develop customized solutions that fit their individual operations and budgets.

    Addressing the pressing issue of water scarcity in Saint Lucia – an island that receives abundant tropical rainfall but fails to capture enough of it for agricultural use – Ramirez emphasized that rainwater harvesting is a foundational resilience-building step. “Even though we are in Saint Lucia with the tropical weather and with a lot of rainfall we are not taking advantage of that, so I think that first we need to look at the rainwater harvesting capability of the greenhouses for example or the houses and store that water in order to use it in the future not only for agriculture but for other uses,” he explained.

    Looking ahead, Isratech plans to host additional symposiums across the island to keep the collaborative conversation going between producers, industry experts and agricultural stakeholders, as the community works toward long-term, well-rounded solutions for a changing climate.

  • LIVE: Golden Drum Awards 2026

    LIVE: Golden Drum Awards 2026

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  • Small Craft, High Surf Warning in effect as tropical wave nears

    Small Craft, High Surf Warning in effect as tropical wave nears

    The Caribbean island of Barbados is preparing for potential severe weather conditions this weekend, as the Barbados Meteorological Services (BMS) keeps close watch on a developing tropical wave moving across the Atlantic Ocean. As of 11 a.m. local time Thursday, the weather system was positioned roughly 1,056 miles east of the island nation, with forecasters projecting it will track north of Barbados between Friday night and Saturday while maintaining strength as a robust tropical wave.

    The approaching system has already triggered changes to local weather advisories. According to an official statement from the BMS, gusty winds blowing ahead of the tropical wave have already degraded marine conditions across the region, prompting officials to upgrade an existing small-craft and high-surf advisory to a full warning. Beyond dangerous sea conditions, the agency warned that Barbados can expect powerful gusts, intense downpours, and frequent thunderstorms as the system passes. Forecasters added that additional watches and warnings could be rolled out as the weather event evolves and brings impacts to the local area.

    As of the latest public bulletin, no tropical storm watches or warnings have been issued for Barbados. Beyond the primary system of concern, the BMS is also monitoring a second tropical wave that is currently located approximately 2,006 miles east of Barbados, across the Eastern Atlantic. Forecasters note that this second system is expected to move into a marginally favorable environment for development over the coming days as it tracks northwestward. However, current climate modeling data does not indicate that this secondary system will pose any significant threat or impact to Barbados at this stage of monitoring.

  • LIVE: Police Press Conference

    LIVE: Police Press Conference

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  • Giraudel farmer harvests more than 250 pounds of seasoning pepper under ministry programme

    Giraudel farmer harvests more than 250 pounds of seasoning pepper under ministry programme

    The Caribbean island nation of Dominica’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Blue and Green Economy is celebrating promising early outcomes from its newly launched Mini Seasoning Pepper Programme, after a South Region farmer delivered an impressive maiden harvest that validates the initiative’s strategic approach.

    Clint Pemberton, a grower based in Giraudel, has become the first participant in the programme to bring his crop to harvest, pulling more than 250 pounds of seasoning pepper from his plot. His successful yield comes as a tangible early proof of concept for the government-backed project, which is designed to lift local agricultural production by delivering targeted support to small-scale domestic producers.

    Unveiled earlier this year, the programme was crafted to address two key gaps in Dominica’s agricultural supply chain: first, to prevent potential seasoning pepper shortages for local agro-processors ahead of the annual Independence season celebrations, when demand for processed local goods spikes, and second, to boost consistent supplies of fresh seasoning pepper at DEXIA’s public fresh produce markets that serve local consumers.

    To set participating farmers up for success, the ministry provided each enrolled grower with 432 young seasoning pepper seedlings, alongside complimentary fertilizer to support healthy plant establishment and growth through the critical early development stages. Originally, the initiative set out to support 10 farmers to cultivate a combined total of one acre of pepper crops. However, following program adjustments to better align with farmer capacity and on-ground conditions, the target was revised to five farmers cultivating a total of half an acre.

    Ministry officials emphasize that Pemberton’s substantial first harvest is far more than a personal win for the grower: it demonstrates how targeted, strategic government support can empower local producers to scale their output, boost household incomes, improve livelihoods for farming communities, and strengthen Dominica’s broader food and nutrition security. As the country continues to build more self-reliant agricultural systems, this early success signals the value of small, targeted interventions in driving meaningful progress.

    The ministry also extended public recognition to the technical team that supported the programme’s rollout: Junior Officer Abna James, and Senior Officers Brent Symes and Delroy Williams, all of whom provided consistent on-ground technical guidance to participating farmers throughout the planting and growing process. Officials noted that the Mini Seasoning Pepper Programme is just one component of the government’s broader national strategy to expand local food production, reduce reliance on imported agricultural goods, and build a more resilient, climate-ready agricultural sector that can meet the needs of Dominica’s people for generations to come.

  • Belizean Sommelier Ian Nal returns home to strengthen Caribbean hospitality skills

    Belizean Sommelier Ian Nal returns home to strengthen Caribbean hospitality skills

    A trailblazing Caribbean hospitality professional is leveraging decades of global industry experience to lift up the next generation of tourism workers across his home region, bringing specialized wine and beverage expertise that is raising the bar for luxury hospitality across the Caribbean.

    Ian Adrian Nal, the first certified sommelier from the Caribbean Community, has built a decades-long international career spanning elite dining establishments in New York City, after getting his start through a transformative educational opportunity from the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Foundation. Now, he is returning to his roots to share his hard-won knowledge with local hospitality teams, starting with a pair of intensive training workshops held recently in Belize.

    The CTO Foundation, the charitable scholarship wing of the leading regional tourism body, has spotlighted Nal’s full-circle journey as a powerful example of the long-term impact of investing in Caribbean talent. Nal was selected as the second recipient of the Audrey Palmer Hawks Memorial Scholarship, a prestigious award that covered his studies at Cornell University’s world-renowned Hotel School. That educational foundation laid the groundwork for a standout career that would take him across leading hospitality, food and beverage organizations across the United States.

    After completing his academic program, Nal cut his professional teeth at CTO’s New York headquarters, followed by a stint at *Travel + Leisure* magazine. He went on to claim senior beverage roles at high-profile dining establishments: Chef Richard Sandoval’s acclaimed restaurant group, Michelin-starred Chef Terrance Brennan’s Artisanal, and the iconic Oak Room at New York’s legendary Plaza Hotel.

    Nal’s professional credentials are among the most impressive in the field: he has held certification as a sommelier with the American Sommelier Association since 2001, when he earned the highest score across the country on his final certification exam. He also holds a Level 1 Certificate from the Court of Master Sommeliers, has developed award-winning wine lists that earned multiple Wine Spectator Awards, placed highly in national wine and cocktail competitions, and was featured in *The New York Times* celebrated Dining section.

    Despite his international success, Nal has set his sights on lifting up the Caribbean’s hospitality sector, where tourism serves as a core economic driver for dozens of small island nations. He aims to pass on his specialized knowledge to local workers, helping regional destinations upgrade their luxury hospitality offerings and deliver more memorable experiences to visitors.

    His most recent capacity-building work brought him to Belize, where he led two hands-on Wine Sommelier Training sessions in partnership with the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) and its Elevate Training Institute. One workshop was hosted on Ambergris Caye’s popular tourist hub San Pedro, while the second took place in Belize City. Participants ranged from practicing restaurant and bar staff, bartenders and mixologists to hospitality managers, supervisors and local wine enthusiasts.

    The training covered a comprehensive curriculum tailored to the needs of Caribbean hospitality professionals, including foundational knowledge of grape cultivation, winemaking processes, key grape varieties and global wine styles, hands-on tasting techniques, custom wine pairing with local Caribbean cuisine, proper wine service protocol, and advanced hospitality best practices.

    Nal summed up his core mission simply: “My goal is simple: to make wine easy to understand, fun to explore, and powerful in creating memorable experiences.” Looking forward, he plans to expand his wine and beverage training programs across the entire Caribbean, forging new partnerships with both public sector tourism bodies and private hospitality businesses. His overarching aim is to upskill local hospitality professionals and strengthen the region’s fast-growing luxury lifestyle tourism sector.

    Leaders across Belize’s tourism sector have praised Nal’s work as a critical investment in the country’s most important industry. Lloyd Enriquez, Director of Cruise and Capacity Development at the Belize Tourism Board, emphasized that specialized wine knowledge is a key component of upgrading visitor experiences and strengthening the skills of Belize’s tourism workforce.

    “Having a Belizean professional of Ian Nal’s caliber lead this training is especially meaningful. It demonstrates that we have local talent with international expertise who can help build capacity here at home and serve as example for others throughout the Caribbean,” Enriquez noted.

    CTO Foundation Chairwoman Jacqueline echoed that praise, noting that Nal’s full-circle career perfectly embodies the Foundation’s core mission of investing in Caribbean talent. “Ian Nal’s story is a powerful example of what can happen when we invest in the education and potential of Caribbean people. His journey from CTO Foundation scholarship recipient to an internationally recognized hospitality professional, and now a mentor and educator giving back to the region, embodies the spirit of the Foundation. We are proud to see his expertise being shared with the next generation of Caribbean tourism professionals,” Johnson said.

    Local hospitality businesses that participated in the San Pedro training also highlighted the transformative impact of the program. Leaders at Larimar Seafood and Steakhouse, one of Belize’s top dining destinations, called the workshop an invaluable professional development opportunity for their team.

    “This wine training was an incredible experience for our team, and it was inspiring to hear our staff say they learned so much about wine and service that they had never known before. That knowledge will help them provide an even better experience for our guests,” said Larimar proprietor Ruben Muñoz. Muñoz thanked Nal for returning to Belize to share his expertise, calling his commitment to giving back to his home country “truly commendable,” and also recognized the Belize Tourism Board for its ongoing support of hospitality workforce development.

    For the CTO Foundation, Nal’s career trajectory illustrates how targeted investment in Caribbean tourism professionals can create a self-sustaining cycle of education, achievement, mentorship and inclusive regional development. The Foundation reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to supporting the education and professional development of Caribbean nationals, while strengthening the skilled workforce that forms the backbone of the region’s $50 billion tourism industry. Professionals looking to connect with Nal for training opportunities can reach him through his official website, LiquidAssetsBeverage.com.

  • HELP THE PANYARDS

    HELP THE PANYARDS

    Trinidad and Tobago’s iconic steelpan tradition took center stage over the weekend as the country marked World Steelpan Day with the annual Ancestral Pan Walk, a celebratory procession that drew hundreds of cross-generational steelpan enthusiasts despite intermittent rainfall. At the heart of the festivities, however, was a pressing public call from Pan Trinbago President Beverley Ramsey-Moore for urgent government action to upgrade the country’s aging network of panyards — the community hubs where steelpan bands practice, perform, and gather.

    In an exclusive phone interview with local outlet the Express following the walk, Ramsey-Moore reiterated a call she first made over a year prior, urging the national government to temporarily pause new community centre construction in order to redirect funding to panyard upgrades. She emphasized that panyards have become far more central to youth engagement than underused community centres, noting that young musicians spend countless hours at these hubs honing their craft. “The only modern, well-maintained panyards belong to a handful of commercially sponsored bands,” Ramsey-Moore explained. “Most unsponsored groups struggle with basic, urgent repairs — everything from outdated plumbing to dilapidated bathroom facilities that need complete overhauls.”

    This year’s World Steelpan Day centered explicitly on cultivating youth participation in the steelpan tradition, with the Ancestral Pan Walk kicking off at the Massy Trinidad All Stars Steel Orchestra panyard in Port-of-Spain’s Duke Street before concluding at the bp Renegades Steel Orchestra pan theatre on Charlotte Street. Youth steel orchestras were featured as the lead attractions at both stops, framing the day as a handoff of the national cultural legacy to the next generation. Ramsey-Moore praised the enthusiastic turnout for the walk, but stressed that the steelpan community still lacks consistent, robust support from both government and corporate stakeholders.

    Opening up about ongoing challenges securing funding, Ramsey-Moore expressed disappointment with the recent pullback from Trinidad and Tobago’s corporate sector. “For four years, Pan Trinbago has overhauled its governance, delivering full clean audits, complete transparency, and clear accountability to bring back corporate partners,” she noted. “While corporations returned to partnership over the last two years, their continued engagement always hinges on the signal the national government sends about the sector’s priority.” She also pushed back firmly against narrow framing of the steelpan as an exclusively Black cultural tradition, emphasizing that the national instrument was created to be unifying. “Every creed and race finds an equal place in the steelpan,” she said. “It is not ‘a Black people thing’ — it is a powerful tool for positive national social transformation for all Trinbagonians.”

    One long-sought win for the community appears to be on the horizon, however: Ramsey-Moore voiced disappointment that the steelpan has not yet been added to the nation’s currency, but pointed to a recent statement from the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago confirming that the instrument will feature on the new $100 bill, set to be unveiled this August. She said she is hopeful the central bank will follow through on this commitment.

    Minister of Culture Michelle Benjamin echoed Ramsey-Moore’s call for panyard upgrades during her address at the bp Renegades Pan Theatre, affirming the government’s recognition of the critical role panyards play in nurturing cultural talent. “It is undeniable: all of this incredible national talent comes straight from our panyards,” Benjamin said in response to Ramsey-Moore’s appeal. “She is entirely right that we need to support the renovation and refurbishment of these spaces, because that is where our young people are every single day.”

    Even steady rainfall did little to dampen the festive spirit of the hundreds of attendees who turned out for the procession. As the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment Steel Orchestra played a rousing medley of classic and contemporary steelpan tracks, enthusiasts of all ages marched from the starting point at All Stars to the Renegades panyard, celebrating the legacy and future of the country’s most beloved cultural institution.

  • Fidel’s example is present in this gigantic effort

    Fidel’s example is present in this gigantic effort

    Against a backdrop of intensifying external economic pressure, the 34th iteration of Cuba’s iconic Havana International Book Fair kicked off in the capital on August 10, 2026, reaffirming the island nation’s longstanding commitment to protecting cultural sovereignty and expanding public access to literature even amid extraordinary challenges.

    Organized with support from the Cuban state, the event carries deep symbolic meaning this year: it marks the centennial of the birth of Fidel Castro, the revolutionary leader who first envisioned large-scale, accessible book fairs for the Cuban people and founded the country’s Territorial Publishing System. As Juan Rodríguez Cabrera emphasized in an interview with Granma, the fair’s staging under current difficult conditions directly aligns with Castro’s original vision of centering the Cuban people as the core of cultural life. This year’s edition is formally dedicated to two distinguished Cuban figures: award-winning writer and journalist Marilyn Bobes, and prominent academic researcher José Bell Lara, with the Russian Federation serving as the event’s Guest of Honor.

    In response to growing U.S. sanctions that have expanded to include an oil embargo, event organizers made strategic adjustments to the fair’s format, timing and location to ensure its success. Originally planned for a different venue and longer run, the main Havana edition has been condensed to six days, running from August 10 through 16 at the Cultural Station located at the intersection of Línea and 18th Streets in Plaza de la Revolución municipality. Rodríguez Cabrera explained that the new central location was selected for its proximity to densely populated residential areas and its convenience for accessing the fair’s multiple satellite venues, which are spread across key cultural institutions in Havana.

    These satellite sites play a critical role in expanding the fair’s reach this year. The Fidel Castro Center serves as the main hub for publishers associated with the Our History Project, marking the first time that publishing house Nuevo Milenio has joined the initiative in recognition of the centennial tribute. Additional satellite venues include the José Martí Memorial, the José Martí National Library of Cuba, Dulce María Loynaz Cultural Center, the Center for Martí Studies, Casa de las Américas, the Cuba Pavilion, the Casa del Alba Cultural Center, and the House of Poetry.

    A major milestone being celebrated alongside the fair is the 26th anniversary of the Territorial Publishing System, which coincides with Castro’s birthday on August 13. Created by Castro to open publishing opportunities for creators across every region of Cuba, the system’s 22 regional publishing houses will showcase more than 350 new titles and over 200,000 printed copies at a dedicated commemorative booth at the main fair headquarters, before the works travel to provincial venues across the island.

    Overall, the 34th fair will feature more than 1,400 newly released titles across all formats, with approximately two million copies covering a vast range of topics available for purchase to readers nationwide. A dedicated collection of titles by and about Fidel Castro anchors the centennial tribute, drawing on the leader’s enduring legacy of expanding access to reading and literary culture across Cuba.

    As Guest of Honor, Russia has brought more than 1,500 titles highlighting the breadth of its classic and contemporary literary traditions. In addition to book displays and sales, the Russian delegation — led by Mikhail Shvydkoy, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cultural Cooperation, and composed of prominent Russian writers, translators, intellectuals and artists — will host a series of cross-cultural literary and artistic events for attendees.

    The fair’s robust public programming includes a wide range of academic and community events. Opening colloquia honoring Marilyn Bobes and José Bell Lara are scheduled for August 11 and August 14 respectively, with additional scheduled events including a national Meeting of Literary Editors and Translators, a Colloquium on Scientific and Technical Literature, a pan-Ibero-American Meeting of Young Writers, and a national gathering of poetry promoters. Family-friendly offerings include the children’s and youth pavilion *Tesoro de Papel* (Paper Treasure), while the innovative Cuba Digital Project will also showcase new digital publishing initiatives to attendees. The fair will also conclude its main program with the presentation of dozens of top Cuban literary awards, spanning national prizes for literature, social sciences, and publishing, the Calendario Awards, the Carpentier Awards for fiction, short story and essay, the Nicolás Guillén Poetry Award, the Reader’s Choice Award, and the La Puerta de Papel Awards.

    After the main Havana edition wraps up on August 16, the fair will travel across Cuba’s three main regional zones over the following three weeks. The western regional leg will run August 21–23, followed by the central regional edition August 28–30, and the eastern regional edition will bring the fair to a close September 4–6 in Santiago de Cuba.

    Parallel to the book fair, a landmark 1st International Colloquium titled “Fidel: Legacy and Future” will run August 10–13 at Havana’s Convention Palace, drawing roughly 1,500 participants from across the globe to examine Castro’s enduring impact. The book fair will maintain a presence at the colloquium with a dedicated book stand, tying together the dual missions of honoring Castro’s legacy and advancing his vision of a reading public that underpins national sovereignty. Rodríguez Cabrera emphasized that Fidel Castro’s legacy is woven through every aspect of this year’s fair: from the Territorial Publishing System he founded, which extends publishing access to creators across every province, to the mass accessibility that has been a core fair principle since its founding. He noted that holding the event amid the ongoing U.S. blockade stands as clear proof of Cuba’s unwavering investment in culture as a cornerstone of national resistance and independence, saying that for a people to defend their freedom and self-determination, they must root their struggle in knowledge, shared history, and collective purpose — all values that literature and accessible book culture advance. “This is the best way to stand with Fidel in these extremely complex times, in which we have staked everything on culture, freedom, and independence, which is what he taught us,” Rodríguez Cabrera said.

  • Telling our stories in our own voices: ‘Tiwé Listwa’ comes to life

    Telling our stories in our own voices: ‘Tiwé Listwa’ comes to life

    More than two and a half years of intentional community building and narrative reclamation has culminated in the launch of a landmark literary collection that centers underrepresented local voices from the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia.

    Titled *Tiwé Listwa: Emerging Voices from Saint Lucia*, the new anthology brings together short fiction, poetry, and personal essays from 12 up-and-coming Saint Lucian writers, and made its public debut on August 8 at the Finance Administrative Centre. The launch was intentionally scheduled as a core feature of the island’s annual Emancipation celebrations, aligning with the project’s core mission of centering local historical narratives.

    The idea that grew into this published collection traces back to early 2024, when Amanie Mathurin—founder and creative director of the Listwa Collective, as well as the anthology’s lead editor—found herself fixated on a deceptively simple question: what would unfold if emerging Saint Lucian creators were given dedicated space, mentorship, and community to nurture their craft and claim their unique narrative voices?

    That question bloomed into the organization of the inaugural three-day Tiwé Listwa Writing Retreat, held in October 2025 on the grounds of a former 19th-century slave plantation. Unlike generic writing workshops that focus solely on technical skill building, the retreat was designed to push participants to engage deeply with Saint Lucia’s layered history, distinct cultural identity, and unwritten local stories, encouraging creators to frame these narratives from their own lived perspectives rather than external interpretations.

    “At the heart of this idea was a desire to help them see writing as more than storytelling and imagination,” Mathurin explained. “I wanted them to appreciate writing as an exercise in courage and a tool of narrative justice. A means of confronting the past, making sense of the present, and imagining new possibilities for the future.”

    Over the retreat weekend, participating writers attended workshops covering everything from story structure and publishing navigation to cultural identity, oral folklore, and historical research. Activities included hands-on traditional oral storytelling sessions, deep dives into personal family lineage, and guided tours of the former plantation grounds, where participants processed the site’s complex history. Renowned Jamaican poet and author Kei Miller also joined the retreat to share his decades of experience and industry insight with the emerging creators.

    The resulting anthology features work from a diverse cohort of new writers: Tia Christopher, Monique Auguste, Petana Emilaire, Lyndell Halliday, Kerwin Eloise, Hayzan Louis, Kristina Daniel, Amanda Faye Clarke, Amanie Mathurin, Tresha Lionel, Danielle Ayla Du Bois, and Christa St Ange. Their contributions span a wide range of themes, from retellings of local folklore and explorations of colonial history to intimate personal reflections on family, community, and modern Saint Lucian identity. Mathurin notes the finished collection balances deep affection for the island with thoughtful reflection on its ongoing social and cultural challenges.

    “*Tiwé Listwa: Emerging Voices from Saint Lucia* is many things. It is at once a love letter to our homeland and an expression of quiet concern; a plea to be heard and a call to care,” Mathurin said.

    For the contributing authors, the journey from retreat brainstorm to published book has been a transformative, almost surreal experience. Christa St Ange, one of the featured writers, described the project as a one-of-a-kind opportunity for local creators.

    “It is a carefully crafted Saint Lucian writing space and experience like no other,” St Ange said. “I was able to pick at and probe so many thoughts that were triggered during our writing retreat. The outcome: A love letter to Saint Lucia posing as this impressive anthology of exceptional written works. I am immensely proud to be one of those featured.”

    Fellow contributor Hayzan Louis echoed that sentiment, noting the full emotional weight of the experience was impossible to anticipate before taking part. “Living this experience, from the retreat to the launch, honestly felt like a dream. I could have never imagined the range of emotions I would feel … from being part of such an enlightening retreat surrounded by so many inspirational people, to creating a piece of my own that could hopefully inspire others.”

    The launch event itself held a special surprise for the participating authors: none had seen the final printed volume or its cover art before the official unveiling. The original cover artwork, created by artist Jonathan Gladding, was revealed to the creators and audience for the first time that evening. Ten of the 12 contributors read excerpts from their work during the event, which also featured cultural performances from violinist Michael Fletcher, vocalist Shan Lucien, and the Youth In Arts masqueraders. The Cultural Development Foundation provided funding to support the launch event.