BNL: Literature From The Caribbean & Bermuda
Starting on Wednesday, May 4, the Bermuda National Library will present Module 2 of Literature from the Caribbean and Bermuda, a 3-module course taught by Dr. Angela Barry.
A spokesperson said, “In the first module, students saw how slavery and colonialism fundamentally shaped Caribbean and Bermudian societies and their literatures. Although there were many similarities between the two regions, there were also differences – like Indian indenture and mass migration to Britain.
“Module 2 takes up where Module 1 left off, looking at the 1970s, 80s and 90s, a time when the Caribbean and Bermuda were in a state of upheaval, trying to create a new society out of the ashes of the old. This was an arduous process and, almost without exception, there were periods of civil unrest and violence.
“The writers selected for Module 2 – Olive Senior [Jamaica], Margaret Cezair-Thompson [Jamaica], Martin Carter [Guyana], Earl Lovelace [Trinidad] and Brian Burland [Bermuda] – all write about the stresses of this time, with attitudes ranging from despair to guarded optimism.
“During the first three weeks, we will discuss Caribbean writers through short story, poem and excerpts of novels. The final two weeks will be dedicated to reading and discussing a complete novel, The Sailor and the Fox, Brian Burland’s parable about Bermudian society where an ageing white prizefighter defends his title against a young, Black contender.
“In Module 2, as in Module 1, the literary works will be presented in a context of history, politics and culture and will be supported by documents like the Pitt Report, 1978, and video footage like that of the One Love Peace Concert in Kingston, 1978.
“You are welcome to join this course, even if you haven’t done Module 1. For teachers, attendance at modules of Literature from the Caribbean and Bermuda can count as professional development.
“We look forward to seeing you on May 4 – at the Library.”
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