Colin Channer, Contributor
"By his deeds a man shall be known." - V.C.
LOVE is a verb. On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Calabash International Literary Festival Trust, I would like to take this opportunity to openly thank our audiences, our writers, our musicians, our sponsors, the media, the community of Treasure Beach, and the people of Jamaica for doing all the things it took to make the 2002 Calabash International Literary Festival the largest literary gathering in Jamaica's history.
On May 25, when our most important playwright, Trevor Rhone, released the final words of his fascinating memoir-in-progress, there were 1,250 people gathered together inside and outside the tall white tent that had been set up on a rise above the calm, moon-silvered sea.
Because of you, the world now understands a fundamental truth the Calabash International Literary festival is the greatest little festival in the greatest little district in the greatest little country in the world.
As the founder and artistic director of a registered not-for-profit organisation, I understand the joys of labouring for love. Still, I am awed by the effort you have put into showing us how much you love this festival. For this, each and every one of us should pause and bow our heads and turn t'anks.
Our audience's perseverance
Turn t'anks to our audience. You literally came through the storm, fording flooded roads, travelling on petrol and faith. Because of you, on May 24, the Festival's opening night, we broke the attendance record of the previous year. The opening night of the 2002 Calabash International Literary Festival surpassed the Saturday evening attendance of the 2001 Festival by 100 per cent all because of you.
On opening night this year we had an audience of 600. On Saturday night last year we had an audience of 300. The math is clear. As you travelled through the rain, did you have a feeling that all the gods of all the tribes of all the peoples of the earth had asked the rain to haul and pull so that the sun could skank across the sky and pose off just for you? Did you know that you would arrive to find hundreds of people with passion and courage to match yours or did you think that you would be alone? We appreciate your fire, your vision, and your commitment to soldier on. For this we must turn t'anks.
Turn t'anks to our authors. There were 31 of you from 10 countries. Like the festival, each and every one of you was earthy, inspirational, daring and diverse. Authors, you reflect our visions and values. You help us to shine. Because of you, audiences for years to come will travel to greatest little district in Jamaica with the elemental assurance that the Calabash International Literary Festival is synonymous with excellence of craft and sincerity of voice. In 2001 there were 16 of you. This year, you doubled your numbers. International writers, you took every opportunity to tell us how much you admire the intelligence of our people and the beauty of our country. Your faith inspired us. Jamaican writers, you have kept the home fires burning. Your work is the rock on which this Festival will stand for generations to come. For this we must turn t'anks.
Turn t'anks to our musicians. Zinc Fence, Soul Case, Gumption Band, Tony Rebel, Abijah, Yogie, Chanter. You are evangelists of the word. You connect us to the oral tradition. You are the compasses that allow us to range far and wide with complete assurance that we will always know our way back home, back home to the burru drum; the balm yard; the sankey; the melodious calling of the peanut man; the ministrations of the warner woman; the teasing of children playing ring games; the wailing spirits trapped on this side of the Atlantic, spirits that came to inhabit the souls of men who took to the hills to beat out lamentations for a land far, far away. Musicians, your voices helped to keep the rain away. In Brimstone's leap into the air in mid lyric we saw the image of our collective leap of faith. For this we must turn t'anks.
Turn t'anks to our sponsors. All events at the 2002 Calabash International Literary Festival were free and open to the public. Passion was the only price of entry. UNESCO, Jake's Village, Grizzly's Entertainment, The Jamaica Tourist Board, the Ministry of Tourism, Air Jamaica, Super Plus Stores, Dehring, Bunting & Golding, Ocean Spray, Carreras - you opened your hearts, which allowed us to open our gates. Your support allowed us to live the truth of our mission of "transforming the literary arts in the Caribbean by being the region's best-managed producer of workshops, seminars and performances." Your support has helped the Festival to show the country that the true spirit of Jamaica is alive and well in little districts all over the island, and that gatherings in these places will help to reintroduce this vital spirit to the places where it's being extinguished by poverty, politics, cowardice, cynicism, big-upsy and don-ness. For this, we must turn t'anks.
Turn t'anks to the media. You showed us that you are committed to delivering good news. You showed us that you have an instinct for unearthing human stories. You showed us that you show respect to organisations that show respect to you. We want to thank you for your commitment to fairness and your insistence on asking hard questions. Your hard questions save us from complacency. They make us work harder. By working harder we will be better able to provide a premium experience for our audiences, our authors and musicians, our sponsors and the community of Treasure Beach. You impressed our visiting authors and media with your professionalism and passion for the arts, placing our nation in high esteem. For this, we must turn t'anks.
Turn t'anks to the community of Treasure Beach. You are so kind and giving. You are such wonderful hosts. You make us feel at home. You allow us to contribute to the Jamaican economy by being tourists in our own land. We admire the love you show to each other and to your environment. By example, you have given thousands of people a deeper understanding of what it means to be 'heartical'. The way in which you honour your environment has given each of us a deeper understanding of what it really means to be ital. Without your love and support the Calabash International Literary Festival would not be the greatest little festival in the greatest little district in the greatest little country in the world. For this, we must turn t'anks.
Gift-giving sponsors
Turn t'anks to the staff at Jakes Village, led by Jason Henzell; Sally Henzell, who designed and decorated the venue; Nigel Jones who wove the straw bags that contained the parting gifts for the authors; the Calabash Crafters, who hand-decorated gourds as gifts for the authors; Busha Browne, Star Fish Oils, and Jablum, which contributed parting gifts for the authors; Carleene Debbie Samuels, and the Bob Marley Foundation, which contributed parting gifts for the authors and donated their cinema for pre-Festival screenings; Voice, who performed at the Festival's launch on May 2; Edwin Charley, who sponsored the bar at the Festival's launch; the Devonshire, which hosted the Festival's launch; Suzzanne Scott and her staff from Novelty Trading, who ensured that all the authors' books and other books of interest were available for purchase at the Festival; the Treasure Beach Hotel, which allowed us to continue the Festival in their lobby when we were rained out on Sunday, May 26; the wonderful people who volunteered to host international writers on their first night in Kingston; Carol Lawes, who organised the volunteer hosting programme; the Department of Literatures in English at the University of the West Indies, Mona, who hosted the author dinner on Thursday, May 23; The New Yorker, which co-sponsored the Festival's New York launch on May 14 at the Explorer's Club; the Jamaica Information Service, which recorded the entire Festival for the National Archives; John Dacosta, our creative production manager; Quango Records, who co-produced the Festival's 'Babble On' compact disk; June-Gaye Pringle, who continued the tradition of saying the closing prayer; and Quest, the local eccentric who sauntered on stage during Tony Rebel's scintillating performance, head cocked, respectfully whispering into the rock he believed was his mobile phone. But what did we expect with a theme like 'Babble On'? Turn t'anks. Turn t'anks.
Turn t'anks. As you read this we are looking forward to 2003. For 2003 some things will be change - for the better. But our mission will remain the same. The mission of the Calabash International Literary Festival Trust is to transform the literary arts in the Caribbean by being the region's best-managed producer of workshops, seminars and performances. We will achieve these goals by focusing on our audiences, managing our budget, creating a community of supporters in the media, Government, business, the performing arts, philanthropic organisations and publishing, and by becoming the festival of choice for the world's most gifted authors.
For more information on the Calabash International Literary Festival Trust visit calabashfestival.org. Art is a tool of transformation. Join the evolution!
Colin Channer is the founder and artistic director of the Calabash International Literary Festival Trust.
