Stories written by SWAN

Books: A Peep Into Claude McKay’s “Letters in Exile”

By SWAN
Nomadic Jamaican-American writer Claude McKay probably never dreamed that 21st-century readers would be delving into his private correspondence some 77 years after his death. But that’s probably part of the professional hazard (luck?) of being a literary luminary, or, as Yale University Press describes him, “one of the Harlem Renaissance’s brightest and most radical voices”.

Marley, Music, Morris, Life: A Photo Voyage in Paris

By SWAN
Reggae fans may be initially drawn just by the iconic image of Bob Marley on the Music + Life poster, but once inside this exhibition, they will find themselves immersed in a world of extraordinary photographs.

The Caribbean Mourns Loss of a Singular Writer

By SWAN
Jamaican writer Velma Pollard provided a special kind of sunlight in the Caribbean literary space. Known across the region for her warm personality and welcoming nature, she also defied simple classification as she shone beyond genre. The work she has left behind encompasses short stories, poetry, academic writing, and novellas. She was also a keen naturalist photographer.

James Baldwin Fest To Celebrate Writer, in Paris

By SWAN
For the centenary of James Baldwin’s birth, an international array of literature fans are coming together in Paris at a festival that will honour the life and work of the iconic American author and civil rights activist.

At Paris Olympics, Art Runs in Tandem with Sports

By SWAN
As cheers from beach-volleyball fans fill the air at the Eiffel Tower Stadium on a steamy, sunny day, pedestrians just down the road are enjoying another kind of show: an outdoor exhibition of huge photographs gleaming on the metal railings of UNESCO headquarters.

A Mission To Publish, Translate, Puerto Rican Poets

By SWAN
On meeting Amanda Hernández, one is immediately struck by her infectious energy and her generous sharing of information about Puerto Rican writers and books. At a recent literary festival in the Caribbean - the BVI Lit Fest in the British Virgin Islands - she urged participants for instance to check out the works of several emerging authors from her home territory.

Impressionism Festival Taps Into Global Concerns

By SWAN
On a clear, chilly evening, the words of African American poet Maya Angelou filled the air in the centre of Rouen, as a vivid light show played across the façade of the French town’s imposing cathedral, and as a bright full moon rose in the sky.

World Says Goodbye To a Caribbean Literary Giant

By SWAN
Maryse Condé, the acclaimed Guadeloupean author who died in France last week at the age of 90, will be bid an official farewell April 12, amidst an outpouring of tributes from across the world, and particularly from the Caribbean.

Bob Marley: One Love Review – Music and Memories of Troubled Times

By SWAN
Judging from the audience reactions at a screening of Bob Marley: One Love in Brussels, the music may touch international viewers, but the memories and some of the “insider” comments belong to Jamaicans and those closely connected with the country.

Interview with Anniwaa Buachie – The Making of a Ghanaian Short Film

By SWAN
Some movie scenes keep replaying in one’s mind long after one has left the cinema, and this is certainly true of Moon Over Aburi, a short film shot in Ghana that has been gaining accolades since its release earlier this year.

African Films of UNESCO-Netflix Scheme To Stream

By SWAN
It’s a new direction for UNESCO, getting involved in movies, so to speak. The United Nations' cultural agency and Netflix - the global streaming and production company - have partnered to “support” and “promote” Africa’s new generation of filmmakers, and the results will be revealed to the world from March 29, when six short films by young directors will be available in 190 countries via the video-on-demand platform.

A Caribbean Writer Fights Gender-Based Violence with Lit, Protests

By SWAN
For the past six years, Jamaican writer and scholar Opal Palmer Adisa has been one of the voices crying out against the prevalence of gender-based violence in the Caribbean and elsewhere. To highlight this human rights issue, she launched “Thursdays in Black” - holding public protests throughout the year and, on Thursdays, making use of social media to spread her message and raise awareness.

Korean Jazz Singer Youn Sun Nah Talks Art and Soul

By SWAN
When the parents of Korean jazz singer Youn Sun Nah realized that the COVID-19 pandemic had begun, they called and urged her to return to Seoul from New York, where she was based at the time.

Caribbean-American Artist Depicts ‘Chosen Family’

By SWAN
For two months over the summer, Caribbean-American artist Delvin Lugo presented his first solo show in New York City, exhibiting large, vibrant canvases at High Line Nine Galleries on Manhattan’s West Side and featuring queer communities in his homeland, the Dominican Republic.

UNESCO Member States Adopt Recommended Ethics for AI

By SWAN
The member states of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have agreed on a text of recommended ethics for artificial intelligence (AI) that states can apply on a “voluntary” basis.

FRANCE: Translating a Harlem Renaissance Writer

By SWAN
Claude McKay is having something of a rebirth in France, thanks to independent publishers and to translators such as Jean-Baptiste Naudy.

Artist Asks Uncomfortable Questions at Paris Fair

By SWAN
How does injustice make you feel? Do you see yourself as a perpetrator, or as a victim? Is there any such thing as neutrality? These are some of the questions that Dorian Sari asks through artwork, which includes blurry photographs with violently shattered glass frames.

Mexican Illustrators Blur Art Lines in Paris Show

By SWAN
So, what’s the difference between illustration and “art”?  When asked this question, Maru Aguzzi replies with a wry smile: “Perhaps the price?”

French Editor Pays Tribute to Civil Rights Icon Angela Davis

By SWAN
Renowned activist and intellectual Angela Davis turned 77 years old on Jan. 26, marking more than five decades of her fight against systemic racism and inequality.

*#*