On May 28, 2024, PREE put on the second of two public events mounted in conjunction with its Writing Studio, originally planned for May 2020, and finally successfully staged from May 27-30 this year. While the studio itself was restricted to those who paid to attend it, or received scholarships, the public was invited to two evenings of readings, discussions and a book launch with the renowned writers PREE brought together for the studio (see flyers above for details).
Mr. Verol Blake, photographer to the Institute of Jamaica, captured the effervescence and luminosity of the evening with Erna Brodber, one of those rare occasions when those who responded to our social media announcements (because alas traditional media roundly ignored our press releases despite the stellar nature of the events) enjoyed an intimate and well put-together set of conversations with some of the best writers the Caribbean and the world have to offer. Unfortunately for the launch and readings which took place on May 27 PREE didn’t have the services of Mr. Blake but both evenings’ events were also livestreamed and we will soon make available edited videos of the activities. We are grateful to Kerry Chen for including our events in the programme of activities surrounding her exhibition Dubbing 62: Side A.
Likewise we’re grateful to Justine Henzell for the use of 10a West Kings House Road, a site dripping with history and culture that used to be her father Perry Henzell’s offices and studio. PREE likes to host its events at culturally significant sites which allow us to tap into the vernacular creativity already harnessed in such locations.
The title of the opening session featuring the redoubtable Erna Brodber and Kei Miller was De-Slaving Information, a phrase taken from an essay in which Brodber engages with renowned sociologist Orlando Patterson’s concept of social death. In History and Social Death Brodber says the following:
History and Social Death, ERNA BRODBER, Caribbean Quarterly, Vol. 58, No. 4, SOCIAL DEATH/RESURRECTION (December2012), pp. 111-115
Kei Miller drew out the renowned sociologist and novelist on the subject of the yet to be realized Emancipation of a vast segment of the Jamaican population and other facets of Dr. Brodber’s practice as an activist for black social and cultural liberation.
The second half of the evening saw a discussion on the Caribbean essay tradition between essayist Garnette Cadogan, novelist Roland Watson-Grant and editor-in-chief of PREE, Annie Paul.
In the photos below can be seen many of the 44 participants in PREE’s inaugural writing studio. For more information about the Studio please visit our website.
PREE Writing Studio 2024 was sponsored by the Prince Claus Fund and held in collaboration with the Department of Literatures in English at the University of the West Indies, Mona. A big thank you to Sara Shabaka of the Caribbean School of Architecture for the beautifully designed flyers and other promotional material. Jda Gayle ably represented PREE’s activities on social media. Gratitude also to Staceyann Chin for welcoming all of us at her farm Kindred on the Rock, a fine way to conclude the Studio. The continuing support of PREE’s board member and legal counsel Sarah Hsia Hall was invaluable as always. Finally maximum gratitude and respect to Brianne Stewart for her expert assistance as project manager of the Studio.
