The Anguilla Literary Foundation is excited to announce its impressive listing of international artists scheduled to appear at the 8th annual Anguilla Lit Fest- taking place 16th to 19th May at Paradise Cove Resort, Anguilla.
Legendary novelist, essayist, poet and activist, Dame Alice Walker, best known for her Pulitzer Winning novel, The Colour Purple (1982), the critically acclaimed Possessing the Secret of Joy (1992), and most recently a bilingual English/Spanish anthology of poetry Taking the Arrow Out of the Heart (2018), will headline the annual ‘Literary Jollification’ in Anguilla exploring the themes of feminism, sexuality, identity and spirituality in her prolific writing and lived experience.
Dynamic author/poet Jason Reynolds will also be featured in the 2 day literary limelight. Reynolds who delights young adult audiences will have special appeal for those in their teens and twenties as well as for the young at heart. His first book of prose, When I Was The Greatest (2014) won the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent and most recently his acclaim skyrocketed with his New York Times best-selling Track series, Ghost (2016), Patina (2017) and Sunny (2018).
This year, the Anguilla Lit Fest also welcomes an inspiring cornucopia of Social Media Influencers and Speakers including husband and wife team, Tony A Junior and Sheri Gaskins who will present Make it Work, 22 Time Tested Real Life Lessons for Sustaining a Happy Healthy Relationship (2019). Tony is a highly regarded life coach, author and motivational speaker who has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and TBN’s 700 Club; Glory Edim, a literary advocate and founder of Well-Read Black Girl a book club and online community that celebrates the uniqueness of Black literature and sisterhood and whose first anthology, Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves, was published by Random House in 2018; Denene Millner co-writer with Steve Harvey of Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man and Around the Way Girl, a memoir with actress Taraji P. Henson and founder of MyBrownBaby.com, and Editor of Denene Millner Books; Novelist and Motivational Speaker, Sadeqa Johnson, who worked with JK Rowling and Bishop TD Jakes before becoming an author of novels such as And Then There Was Me (2017) and Journalist/Blogger Sarah Greaves Gabbadon, better known as JetSetSarah, whose captivating posts on Caribbean destinations, food and shopping inspire all that ‘follow’ her to follow in her footsteps.
Other authors include: Patricia Marie “Pat” Cummings, esteemed writer and illustrator of over 30 books for children; Ira Sumner Simmonds, a native of St Kitts who has written From Siberia to St Kitts: A Teacher’s Journey; and Stephanie Stokes Oliver, author, editor and member of the Anguilla Literary Foundation, introducing her critically acclaimed anthology Black Ink and big hitters from the publishing world such as Dawn Davis publisher and vice president of 37 INK and Yona Des Hommes Associate Director of Publicity, Atria Books.
“This refreshing brew of outstanding writers and speakers combined with the captivating beauty of Anguilla’s beaches and the unique opportunity that Lit Fest provides to mix and mingle with like-minded people in a laid back yet luxurious holiday destination, is sure to be a tonic for anyone hoping to relax, rejuvenate or reinvent themselves,” Says Sherille Hughes, Chairman of the Anguilla Literary Foundation, “We can’t wait to welcome back old friends and meet new Lit Fest fans!”
The 2019 Anguilla Litfest: A Literary Jollification takes place May 16-19, 2019 on Anguilla. It’s an unrivalled opportunity for meeting authors, book signings, and writing workshops. Special vacation packages for the event will be offered by a number of Anguilla’s leading properties, including the host venue, Paradise Cove Resort, and sponsor hotel, The Reef by CuisinArt.
For more information on the Anguilla Lit Fest 2019 or to register for this year’s event, go to www.anguillalitfest.com, email info@anguillalitfest.com, or follow the Anguilla Litfest on Facebook or Instagram.
– Press Release
