Kwame Dawes, distinguished writer and Peepal Tree's Associate Poetry Editor, has been announced as the next Poet Laureate of Jamaica. He follows Mervyn Morris, Lorna Goodison and Olive Senior. The post lasts for three years and the laureate is charged with both developing poets and a love for poetry in Jamaica.
This is a collection of writing that through its vigour and inventiveness is extremely readable. It makes the case that the very best journalism has every right to be considered as seriously as literary fiction; in a country which has prized the newspaper columnist who combines insight with high style, Seepersad Naipaul claims the status of a pioneer.
Today, we republished Edgar Mittelholzer's autobiography, A Swarthy Boy: A Childhood in British Guiana. Mittelholzer wrote over 20 books in his lifetime, but until 2010, all of them had been out of print since the 1980s. Since we launched our Caribbean Modern Classics series, however, we have managed to bring six of Mittelholzer's most beloved books back to life, including one book of mostly unpublished work under our main imprint.
Edgar Mittelholzer’s A Swarthy Boy: A Childhood in British Guiana (1963) is one of a small number of literary autobiographies by Caribbean writers, and, if strict genre criteria are applied, the first to be published. And even if the field of Caribbean autobiography is widened to extend beyond the literary, A Swarthy Boy still represents a pioneering venture. So, whilst he may well have found models in earlier British writing, as a Caribbean writer he began with almost a blank sheet.
by Jeremy Poynting
The Bookseller recently ran an article titled "ACE clarifies advice on 'political statements' but trade figures still concerned about threat to free speech". Peepal Tree Managing Editor Jeremy Poynting sent a letter to The Bookseller outlining his response to the new Arts Council guidance; numerous other ACE-funded publishers also spoke to the publication. Only part of Jeremy's letter was published, but the rest can be found below the link to the article.
The 2024 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature, sponsored by One Caribbean Media, has announced its judging panel, headed by Edwidge Danticat. This includes Peepal Tree authors Andre Bagoo, Curdella Forbes, Rabindranath Maharaj, and Ann-Margaret Lim.
Peepal Tree Press and HopeRoad Publishing are delighted to announce that from 1st February 2024 they are joining forces to secure and build on the diversity of independent publishing in the UK.
Peepal Tree Press and HopeRoad see in each other companies with a compatible ethos, backlists and complementary publishing identities.
The new agreement means that Peepal Tree will take responsibility for the physical production of HopeRoad’s titles, marketing and back-office operations. HopeRoad will retain ownership and control of its IP and its choices of new titles.
Lakshmi Persaud September 1937 - 14 January 2024
We have just learned of the sad news of the death of Lakshmi Persaud on the 14th January, peacefully at her home in Mill Hill, London, surrounded by her children. She was 86.
Esther Phillips's poem "We Island People" (from Witness in Stone) is featured in the recent BBC World Service documentary podcast We the People Are Barbados.
In the documentary, award-winning author Candice Brathwaite explores Barbados’ transition to a republic and interviews poet laureate Esther Phillips, historian Dr Pedro Welch, artist Oneka Small, journalist Krystal-Penny Bowen and socio-economics expert Professor Don Marshall. What emerges is a sense of the nation's changing identity.
