Jamaican poet Shara McCallum, current Penn State Laureate and Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of English, has been awarded the silver Musgrave Medal from the Institute of Jamaica.
The Musgrave Medal is awarded to those who demonstrate excellence in literature, the arts and science, and is the oldest such award in the Western hemisphere (founded in 1889).
The Institute of Jamaica awarded the medal to McCallum for her 'extensive high-quality work in relation to her numerous collections and accolades, as well as being a nurturer of Jamaican talent'.
English actor Gemma Chan recently took part in Vogue's In the Bag video feature, where a celeb opens their bag and shows the camera what they keep inside. There, among the wet wipes and canvas tote bag, was Monique Roffey's The Mermaid of Black Conch (sporting the rare first edition cover from Peepal Tree).
Gemma Chan has starred in Sherlock and Marvel's Eternals.
by Rawan E. A Mohamed on 12 August 2021
‘‘They had the unlettered man's respect for the written word. There was something formidable, even sacred, about a book. Only truth, it seemed, could be put in print.”
- George Lamming
Fortune book club meeting and general house keeping
20 August 2021, 5-6.30pm BST
Online
FREE!
Love Reading have selected Daylight Come as their August 2021 Book Club Recommendation. They have published a series of questions for book clubs and a review.
We have just received the terrible news that acclaimed poet Jean 'Binta' Breeze has died.
Jean passed away yesterday in Jamaica, aged 65, after a period of ill health.
Our thoughts are with her family, friends and colleagues at this time. We know the Caribbean and British literary worlds will grieve this loss.
We are honoured to have worked with Jean, who contributed to the anthology Jubilation!, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Jamaica's independence and edited by Kwame Dawes.
'Several independent publishers in the north of England are reporting unprecedented growth and success, despite the difficulties of the past 12 months,' reports The Bookseller, in an article that mentions Peepal Tree.
ProQuest has a feature on Peepal Tree, where journalist Bob Nardini says, 'From the very beginning, Peepal Tree’s books have been a way for Empire to speak back. Though small in relative size, Peepal Tree is a prominent voice in Caribbean and Black British writing.'
Love Reading is currently running a competition for a free copy of Fortune by Amanda Smyth, as well as a gorgeous tote bag.
Enter before the end of 1 August 2021 to be in with a chance of winning.
Kadija Sesay, Inscribe Co-Director, Publications Manager and Series Editor, has been made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature!
Kadija published SABLE LitMag for 15 years and is currently the co-founder of Mboka Festival of Arts, Culture & Sport in The Gambia and creator of the AfroPoeTree app.
Readers of Inside Croydon are currently eligible for a 25% discount on Marc Wadsworth's memoir of Indian Communist Shapurji Saklatvala, Comrade Sak.
