By: Staff Writer
March 10, 2023
The Caribbean Literary Conference (CARICON) is adding something new to this year’s conference with their “book drive” for the Caribbean, joining together with other non-profit organisations in the Los Angeles area to help make this happen.
Steve Russell, founder and director of the CARICON, told Caribbean Magazine Plus: “We’re building a lot of connections with local groups, both non-profit and otherwise. We have been in in talks with a council member who is of Asian descent from an adjoining district and we’re also involved in giving back to the Caribbean.
“So we are doing a lot of team-up n that aspect where CARICON and area non-profit organisations would be able to reach the Caribbean islands after the conference, so we’re doing like a book drive together. That’s one of the things that will be happening at CARICON where people can buy book and donate to send to the Caribbean.”
CARICON will be held at the University of Southern California on June 3-4, 2023. The event will feature panel discussions, workshops, literary agents, editors and publishers, book expo, as well as a poetry slam and a Soundclash. The conference is free and open to the public, with minimal cost for the workshops.
The theme for this year’s conference is “The Future is Now,” exploring the cutting-edge of Caribbean literature and culture. The conference will highlight Trinidad and Tobago as the featured island.
Along with the book-drive, the conference’s “Soundclash” is also a new feature for this year. Mr Russell explained: “We’re adding a Soundclash, because you cannot have a Caribbean event without the music and you cannot have the music without the poetry because both of them go hand in hand.
“We are confident in our content, as it relates to panels, workshops, and stuff like that. The way I look at it that’s set, people know that we do that so what we’re doing now is adding the other aspects with the poetry slam and now the SoundClash and which encompasses the old Caribbean experience of poetry and music.”
This year’s CARICON has over 20 speakers already lined up and along with the book drive and the Soundclash, Mr Russell said they are also venturing into the graphic novel genre. ‘If the Future is Now, then what does it look like for Caribbean literature? We think that graphic novels are at the forefront.”
CARICON is an annual event that celebrates Caribbean-American heritage and provides a platform for Caribbean writers, editors, publishers, and other industry professionals to connect and collaborate. The conference has become a leading event in the literary world, drawing attendees from all over the world.
CARICON is a project of the Los Angeles-based non-profit organization Jamaica Cultural Alliance. The conference also provides sponsorship opportunities for businesses seeking to connect with a diverse and engaged audience of writers, readers, and industry professionals. Interested partners are encouraged to reach out to the conference organizers.