Calabash International Literary Festival 2004 Scheduled For Memorial Day Weekend On Jamaica’s South Coast Phyllis Yvonne Stickney Introduces Comedyto Exciting Program (NAPSA)—Now in its fourth year, the Calabash International Literary Festival in Jamaica is the Caribbean’s hottest—and coolest—literary event. Scheduled for Memorial Day weekend, from May 28-30, Calabash 2004 will take place at Jake’s, a small South Coast resort that is big on style. Offering three days and nights of readings and live music from Jamaica and beyond, Calabash is free and open to the public. Stellar List of Global Artists This year offers a stellar list of global artists in thefields of literature and music, and the participation of Phyllis Yvonne Stickney will introduce comedy for thefirst time to the events of Calabash. Ms. Stickney will read excerpts from her one-woman show, “P.S. I’m Still Standing,” and features from her recent book of poetry, “Loud Thoughts for Quiet Moments.” Among the participating authors are novelists Maryse Cond of Guadalupe and Austin Clarke of Barbados; and Calabash 2004 will mark the literary debut of Rita Marley, widow of reggae legend Bob Marley, who will read from her memoir “No Woman No Cry.” It will also present the first appearance of a Cuban writer on the program, noir master Arnaldo Correa. Additional writers slated for Calabash 2004 include novelists Chris Abani (Nigeria), China Miville (U.K.) and Percival Everett (U.S.); poets Claudia Rankine (Jamaica) and Jean Binta Breeze (Jamaica); and travel writ- ers Amanda Jones (New Zealand) and Tim Cahill (U.S.). For a full list of participants, plus biographies, visit the artists page at www.calabashfestivaLorg. Calabash 2004 will celebrate the 60th birthday of reggae icon Peter Tosh, who was a founding member of The Wailers with Bob Marley and BunnyLivingstone. Fellow reggae stars Ibo Cooper, Wayne Armond and Stephen Golding will present acoustic versions of the controversial singer’s lyrics. Building Bridges This year, Calabash will reach ie. = 2] A - ayA , - Photo credit: Sally Henzell itecate For a good read on exciting literary events, visit Jamaica’s Calabash festival. out in new directions. Founder and Artistic Director Colin Channer noted with enthusiasm, “I’m really excited about the 2004 program. I am especially thrilled by the participation of Lonely Planet and the celebration of the wonderful spirit of their book ‘The Kind- ness of Strangers,’ which is a collection of first hand accounts of random acts of goodness experienced in far-flung parts of the globe. The Dalai Lama wrote the introduction. The spirit of this book is what this festival is all about.” Colin Channer is the author of the bestselling novels “Waiting In Vain” (One World/Bal- lantine, 1998) and “Satisfy My Soul” (One World/Ballantine, 2002). His latest book, “Passing Through” (One World/Ballantine), will be published in July 2004. Festival Programmer Kwame Dawes added, “The participation of Arnaldo Correa is an opportu- nity for the festival’s audience to experience something quite rare. Correa is a master of his craft. We'd like to thank him for helping us as a festival to demonstrate our willingness and intent to build bridges in all directions—toall cultures around the world.” Kwame Dawes is a Jamaican poet and playwright, and winner of Britain’s Forward Prize for Poetry in 1994for the collection “Progeny of Air” (Goose Lane) and the Hollis Summers Prize in 2001 for the collection “Midland” (Ohio University Press). The festival producer is Justine Henzell, whose work in supporting the arts in Jamaica is widely acclaimed. First Publishing Venture Calabash 2004 will celebrate the festival’s first venture into publishing. In a joint initiative with British publisher Macmillan, the festival will launch a special Calabash International Literary Festival 50th Anniversary Edition of the late Jamaican writer Roger Maisclassic novel “Brother Man.” Written in 1954, this is the world’s first novel to feature a Rastafarian as the central character. Sponsorship for the Calabash International Literary Festival is provided by Air Jamaica, the Chase Fund, Jake’s, the Jamaica Tourist Board and the Jamaica Tourism Challenge Fund. Details of upcoming special events, attractions and accommo- dations in Jamaica are posted on the Jamaica Tourist Board Web site at www.visitjamaica.com. JTB can be reached toll-free at 1-800233-4JTB (1-800-233-4582).
