You may not know her name, but you should! When I first saw the U.S. cover for the book When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo, I immediately wanted to know who designed it. Her name is Raxenne Maniquiz and she’s the talented young woman behind the image that powerfully captures the aura of…
Category: Interview Series
In Conversation with Ayanna Lloyd Banwo
I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Ayanna Lloyd Banwo for the U.S. book launch of her debut novel, When We Were Birds. Ayanna and I spent an hour discussing her book, the themes she tackles, the descriptions that are so incredibly vivid, and the memories she bought back for me. I enjoyed the opportunity…
In Conversation with Breanne Mc Ivor
I’ve been saying this ad nauseam for a few years now: that short stories are a staple of Caribbean literature and it’s a good place to get into Caribbean books if you’re looking to start. Breanne Mc Ivor published her first collection of short stories, Where There Are Monsters, in 2019 and I discovered her…
In Conversation with Cherie Jones
I remember being so excited about the release of How The One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House in 2021, and I was proud that a Caribbean author was getting her flowers. After I read it, I spend many weeks pondering on it and talking with others so I could put my thoughts into perspective. It was…
In Conversation with Lauren Francis-Sharma
In 2020, in the middle of the pandemic during quarantine, I discovered Lauren Francis-Sharma’s second novel, Book of the Little Axe. The first time I heard her speak about this book was in an interview she did with Bernice McFadden, where she talked about her background as a lawyer and the pull that kept her…
In Conversation with Myriam J. A. Chancy
After the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, scholar and author Myriam J. A. Chancy began receiving and accepting invitations to speak about the state of Haiti prior to and after the earthquake. These speaking engagements would last for about three years and allowed Chancy to meet with many people who shared their experiences of losing…
In Conversation with Celeste Mohammed
On Mother’s Day 2021, I sat on my couch for the entire day and read the book Pleasantview. Celeste Mohammed characterizes her debut as a novel-in-stories, but what does that mean exactly? In Caribbean literary culture, the short story format is a staple, it’s how we were taught to write stories in school and many…
In Conversation with Diana McCaulay
When this book first came on my radar, I admit the premise sounded a bit strange to me. Mostly it’s because I’m used to reading books by Caribbean authors that focus on immigration, living in the diaspora, or something cultural from home. But this book is different. It centers on climate change and it sounded…
Here We Read For Fun 