Upcoming Events
November 2025
ROOTS & RECKONINGS: FAMILY, MEMORY & CARIBBEAN IDENTITY – NONFICTION
In How to Be Unmothered: A Trinidadian Memoir, Camille U. Adams maps the fault lines between mother and child against the backdrop of Trinidad’s colonial violence and her family’s legacy of abandonment. Tormented by her mother’s presence and haunted by her absence, Adams presents an account of survival and self-determination, reimagining the meaning of escape, its cost, and what comes after. In Silence and Resistance: Memoir of a Girlhood in Haiti, Monique Clesca recounts surviving Haiti’s 2010 earthquake while confronting a past marked by state terror,…
RECLAIMING HISTORY: POWER, RESISTANCE & CULTURAL MEMORY – FICTION & NONFICTION
Join us for a conversation about revolutionary figures and marginalized voices. In The First and Last King of Haiti: The Rise and Fall of Henry Christophe, Marlene Daut explores a riveting life of a man who was born enslaved and eventually crowned himself King Henry I. This essential biography unravels the enigma of the man who was Haiti’s only sovereign, in a story of geopolitical clashes but also of friendship and loyalty, treachery and betrayal, and heroism and strife in an era of revolutionary upheaval.…
ACROSS WATERS, ACROSS GENERATIONS: CARIBBEAN BECOMING – FICTION
Join us as we discuss how Caribbean identity evolves across generations and geographies. Ryan Bachoo’s An Unending Search is a moving tale of self-discovery, resilience, and transformation in 1970s South Trinidad. Following Tar, a teenager laboring in the cane fields under the guidance of his wise Uncle Sundar, the novel confronts racism, classism, and poverty while capturing a powerful journey of hope, ambition, and identity as Tar dreams of life beyond the island. Edwidge Danticat’s Watch Out for Falling Iguanas begins with young Leila setting off for school on a rare chilly day in Miami.…
VODOU IN THE DIASPORA: KEEPING THE SPIRIT ALIVE – NONFICTION
Join Carole Demesmin, Dr. Jerry M. Gilles, M.D., and Roxane Ledan for a profound reflection on Vodou’s ongoing role in Haitian communities beyond the country’s borders. Demesmin, a mambo and performer, embodies Vodou’s living legacy through ritual, song, and spiritual counsel. Gilles’ Remembrance treats Vodou as a cultural and spiritual archive of African inheritance and ritual reverence. Ledan’s Vèvè Vodou Haïti preserves sacred vèvè symbols that signal connection, cosmology, and memory. Moderated by Carel Pedre,…
HAITIAN HEALTH: MIND, BODY & COMMUNITY – NONFICTION
This panel explores health in Haitian communities, encompassing mental wellness, physical care, and cultural factors that shape healing. Dr. Judite Blanc, Ph.D., contributes expertise in psychiatry and behavioral sciences, highlighting trauma, family structures, and well-being. Dr. Jean-Baptiste Charlot, M.D., draws on his dual background as OB-GYN and writer to blend science and social resilience. Dr. Angelo Gousse, M.D., of Gousse Urology, brings practical insight into delivering critical care in underserved Haitian communities.…
CROSS CURRENTS: HAITI, JAMAICA & THE CARIBBEAN IMAGINATION – FICTION & NONFICTION
Join us for a special panel highlighting the literary dialogue between Haiti and Jamaica. Edwidge Danticat’s Watch Out for Falling Iguanas begins with young Leila setting off for school on a rare chilly day in Miami. As her day is filled with curious encounters – roaming peacocks, chickens crossing the road – Leila can’t stop thinking about her grandmother’s warning to watch out for falling iguanas, and begins an unexpected adventure to discover why these tropical creatures fall from trees during cold fronts.…