Wha'ppen?

As partners in the SI Leeds Literary Prize, we are delighted to announce the six shortlisted books for the 2022 prize as follows:

George Lamming was a giant of Caribbean letters and one who invited white Britain to think hard about its relationship to the Caribbean in ways we have hardly begun. In In the Castle of My Skin (1953) he wrote the classic novel of growing up under the Union Jack in the 1930s and the discovery of racial pride in the Black struggles for radical change in both the USA and in Barbados, whose impetus would carry forward the demands for national independence, which are still being expressed in his native Barbados in its rejection of colonial monarchy for republican status.

Independent publisher Bluemoose Books will be taking over Leeds Central Library for the month of June, as part of a new initiative to spotlight indie publishing in libraries, and grow the readership of their titles. (Paywalled)

In its editorial 'The Guardian view on Trinidad writers: women take the lead', The Guardian writes about the increasing number of success stories from Trinidad's women writers. This amounts to a 'show of strength for a small island', they write.

Monique Roffey has written in The Guardian about the 'lit-boom' for Trinidadian women writers.

Entries for the 10th anniversary edition of the SI Leeds Literary Prize will be accepted from 18 April – 2 May. We are proud to once again support the prize for Black and Asian women writers based in the UK.

The Peepal Tree titles (the first two from our Caribbean Modern Classics series) include The Hills Were Joyful by Roger Mais, My Bones and My Flute by Edgar Mittelholzer and The Bone Readers by Jacob Ross.

Frequent Magic
in association with Speaking Volumes and Opera North
Date: Wednesday 16 March
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Howard Assembly Room, Opera North
Price: £10
Book online

We are proud to announce that Monica Minott's Zion Roses has been longlisted for the 2022 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature.

Recognised as the most prestigious award dedicated to Caribbean writing, the OCM Bocas Prize is now in its twelfth year. The Prize recognises books in three genre categories — poetry, fiction, and literary non-fiction — published by authors of Caribbean birth or citizenship in the preceding year. Of the nine books longlisted for the 2022 Prize, seven are by women, and five are by authors of debut books.

The Bookseller has announced that we have been selected as a Regional Finalist for the Small Press of the Year in North England in this year's Nibbies.

The British Book Awards, aka the Nibbies, represent the absolute best of the book trade, showcasing the books, bookshops, agents and publishers who make this industry shine.

This year’s celebrations will return to Central London on 23rd May 2022 alongside an online ceremony for those who cannot attend in person.