By Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
Barbara Blake Hannah (left) listens attentively to Calabash founder Collin Channer at the launch of the International Literary Festival on Friday at the Terra Nova Hotel in New Kingston. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
WESTERN BUREAU:
MOST OF the elements of the 2004 Calabash international literary festival were incorporated in the event's launch at the Terra Nova Hotel, St. Andrew, on Friday night.
There was a large tent, a podium, poetry from DYCR, Ralph Thompson, music from Ibo Cooper, Stephen Golding and Nadine Sutherland, lots of wit and a cluster of literary enthusiasts and entry was free. The flooring, however, was concrete, unlike the earth that will be underfoot at Calabash 2004 in Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth from May 28 to 30. And the number of persons present was a fraction of the amount expected to make the trip to St Elizabeth for the fourth staging of the only festival of its kind in the Caribbean.
It was not only be a matter of lines and sometimes rhymes, though, as Calabash founder and author Colin Channer and Director of Tourism Paul Pennicook put the festival in wider - and sobering perspective.
"We are blessed with bravery, we are blessed with imagination" Colin Channer said. Putting a spin on one of Michael Manley's famous statements, Channer said "this culture is for sale. And people are buying, but not only from us".
"We want to change the terms on which our culture is sold," Channer stated, noting that in terms of marketing Jamaican culture "it is a field in which we have a competitive advantage, because nobody cyaan Jamaican like we".
The core of the culture is the writer, Channer pointed out, noting that "the best director in the world cannot work from a blank page... We need to produce the writers first. And before they produce these things for persons abroad they have to produce them for us here".
OPENING
Putting grooming where mouth is, Calabash 2004 will be opened by four members of the Calabash Writers Workshop, which was started last year. They are Owen 'Blacka' Ellis, Ishion Hutchinson, Veronica Saulter and Rudolph Wallace, who will be reading in the 'CWW Presents' segment on Friday night.
Completing the opening night's offering are Phyllis Yvonne Stickney and Chris Obani opening the four-man 'Tough Guys' segment.
Rita Marley and Anthony Winkler are on the 'MacMillan Presents' panel the following morning, the day continuing with Maryse Conde, the 'Cave Canem Presents' segment. In the evening, Leonie Forbes, Barbara Blake-Hannah, John Maxwell and Big Youth will celebrate the 50th anniversary edition of Roger Mais' Brother Man, with Wayne Armond, Ibo Cooper, Stephen Golding and Nadine Sutherland interpreting the work of the Stepping Razor for 'Tosh Still Firm @ 60.
ROOTS
The closing day opens with 'Akashic Books Presents', which includes Percival Everett and Kaylie Jones, with 2003 Commonwealth writers prize winner Austin Clarke taking over in the afternoon. Opal Palmer Adisa, Jean Binta Breeze, Mark McMorris and Claudia Rankine return to their roots for Back A Yaad' and Calabash 2004 closes with 'The Kindness of Strangers'.
The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) has been very kind to Calabash and is, of course, no stranger. "This festival has become almost larger than life," Paul Penicook said, noting that "gone are the days when travellers came to Jamaica for just sun, sand and sea".
"We are more than a beach, we are a country," Pennicook said, placing the Calabash International literary festival in the context of promoting Jamaica's culture.
Similarly, Calabash 2004 is more than readings at Jake's in Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth, as a film series will run on Sundays at 11:00 a.m. at the Bob Marley Museum, 56 Hope Road, from May 2 to 23. The Housekeeper, The Flower of Evil, demonlover and The Eye will be shown in that order. Three publishing seminars will run consecutively at the Phillip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts, UWI, Mona, on Saturday, May 1, covering topics such self-publishing and starting an independent press, approaches to learning and teaching creative writing and the role of critics.
One element of the launch that will, hopefully, not be a part of Calabash 2004 was a cellular phone ringing while Channer was speaking.
And another that will, hopefully, hold true in Treasure Beach on the last weekend in May was expressed by Kwame Dawes.
"I spoke to God the other day and he promised me it will not rain on those days," he said, to chuckles.
