A delegation of 10 young poets from the Caribbean will showcase their talent at one of Europe's most important literary events, the Marché de la Poésie (Poetry Market) in Paris, France, from 7 to 11 June. The participation of these poets is made possible with the support of the UNESCO programme Transcultura: Integrating Cuba, the Caribbean and the European Union through Culture and Creativity, funded by the European Union.
Selected from 252 applicants through an open call, these young poets hail from 10 different Caribbean countries including Tanicia Pratt, from the Bahamas; Cindy Celeste, from Barbados; Taimi Dieguez Mallo, from Cuba; Víctor Andrés de Óleo, from the Dominican Republic; Kamille John, from Grenada; Ar Guens Jean Mary, from Haiti; Christena Williams, from Jamaica; Angella O'Brien, from Saint Lucia; Jacinth Brown-Howard, from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; and Rolando Mohammed, from Trinidad and Tobago. For the first time, the Caribbean region will be the event's guest of honour.
Attracting 50,000 visitors annually, the event takes place outdoors in the heart of Paris and features more than 200 authors and 500 new books and magazines. The UNESCO Transcultura programme will hold a stand exclusively dedicated to the promotion of Caribbean young poets.
The authors will be able to expand their professional opportunities and strengthen their networks with key players on the European literary scene through a programme of activities that includes public readings of their poems, meetings with publishers and exchanges between authors. In addition, Transcultura has supported the production of 30,000 copies of a special supplement of the Market of Letters (Marché des Lettres), the main publication of the event, dedicated to making the work of Caribbean poets visible, that are being distributed since May in bookstores, libraries and literary events across France.
With 15 million euros funding from the European Union, the UNESCO Transcultura programme promotes opportunities for young Caribbean artists and cultural professionals through training, entrepreneurship, networking, cultural exchange and access to new markets. On this occasion, it has teamed up with a major poetry event in Europe to ensure a more integrated, regular and far-reaching presence of Caribbean poets in the European literary scene.
