CARIBBEAN TODAY


'The Harder They Come' to highlight


 Caribbean Int'l Film Fest Nov. 7-11


Special screening of
 the classic Jamaican
 film "The Harder
They Come" will be among
the highlights of the
Caribbean International Film
Festival next month in
Barbados.
 The festival, scheduled
for Nov. 7-11, will parade fea-
ture-length and short films,
and music video entries from
the region and internationally.
 "The Harder They
Come", credited with being
Jamaica's first feature film,
was written, produced and


at the festival. The screening
of the film will be accompa-
nied by a special screening
of "The Making of the
Harder They Come".
 For more information
about the festival, the events,
industry accreditations as well
as volunteer and sponsorship
opportunities at the festival,
visit the official website:
www. caribbeaninternational-
filmfestival.com or email
info@caribbeaninternational-
filmfestival. com.
0


directed by the late Perry
Henzell, who will be honored


Winkler and 'Dog War' set for Miami book fair


 GORDON WILLIAMS
Caribbean people still
 remember him as the
 man behind "The
Lunatic". Jamaican-born
author Anthony C. Winkler is
perfectly sane of course -
but his latest novel "Dog War"
is so funny, it borders on crazy.
 So next month Winkler,
armed with his hilarious tale
of a Jamaican woman strug-
gling with her cultural and
religious beliefs, and the test-
ing times she faces with her
employer's dog, will be among
several authors from the
region expected to be present
at the Miami International
Book Fair from Nov. 4-11.
 This year's fair will carry a
new feature, "the Translation
Market", dubbed as "a world
literature and translation sum-
mit". Yet it is the accomplish-
ments of authors like Winkler
that will give the fair and its
base in downtown Miami a
familiar Caribbean feel.
Winkler and others believe
the world is more ready than
ever to embrace Caribbean lit-
erary works.
 "Yeah, I think there is a
greater ,p iiiii- he said.
 It's been long overdue,
despite the region's shortcom-
ings.
 "One of the things that
surprises me about the West
Indies is that we have two
Nobel Laureates in litera-
ture," Winkler explained. "I
think that's astounding when
you think of such small popu-
lations compared with some
of the bigger countries and
the poverty, and the lack of
facilities."

SUCCESS SIGNS
 Yet Winkler seems to
have the answer for the
Caribbean's literary success.
Despite years of colonialism,
he explained, the region still
managed to wriggle free with


its own creative independ-
ence, unburdening itself from
the weight of expectations
originating elsewhere.
 "I think it is the lack of a
strong literary tradition that


 Photograph by Gordon Williams
Winkler relaxes in his Atlanta home.

gives us (in the Caribbean)
the freedom to experiment as
writers," said the 62-year-old
novelist and textbook writer.
 "Because we don't have a
Shakespeare looking over
your shoulder. And you don't
have someone who is such a
wonderful example and you
can't cope."
 Winkler's "Dog War", like
his other works such as "The
Lunatic", "The Painted
Canoe", "Going Home To
TLI.ih and "The Duppy",
reflects the Caribbean experi-
ence. It is about the region's
people and, although crafted
with every writer's goal to reach
the widest possible audience, it
is written with Caribbean peo-
ple in mind as well.
 "The writer wants to
strike a universal note," he
said. "...We always want to
write to the widest possible
audience."
 But, cut to the core,
Winkler is enjoying himself
with his writings, hoping that
the reader comes along for a
fun ride.
 "No, I don't just write for
Jamaicans," he explained last
month from his home in an
Atlanta, Georgia suburb. "I


write mainly for Jamaicans
because I am Jamaican. But
really, when it comes down to
it, I write for myself. If I like
it, I figure somebody else will
like it."
 "Dog War" will certainly
get many people's attention.
And Winkler is pleased that
more and more Caribbean peo-
ple are trying to write, especial-
ly Jamaicans, who he believes
are capable of excelling at any-
thing they attempt.
 "One of the things I will
say about Jamaicans and
every field they get into, writ-
ing included," he explained,
"when they good, they good.
They really good."

Gordon Williams is Caribbean
Today's managing editor.



 Putting pen to paper
 The following Caribbean authors
 (with some their works listed)
 were also invited to the 2007
 Miami International Book Fair:

 Opal Palmer Adisa "I Name
 Me Name: Lola" and "Until
 Judgment Comes: Stories About
 Jamaican Men"
 Jane Bryce "Chameleon: Short
 Stories" and "Caribbean Dispatches:
 Beyond the Tourist Dream"
 Oonya Kempadoo "Tide
 Running"
 Philip Nanton -"Caribbean
 Dispatches: Beyond the Tourist
 Dream"
 Geoffrey Philp "Grandpa
 Sydney's Anancy Stories"
 Howard Pitterson "Spectre of
 Seven"
 Kim Robinson "Out of Order!"
 Marina Salandy Brown
 "Caribbean Dispatches: Beyond the
 Tourist Dream"
 Robert Edison Sandiford -
 "Shouts from the Outfield:


ENTERTAINMENT BRIEFS


* Carnival hits Miami on
Oct. 7
The colorful and exciting culture of
the Caribbean will again be on
show in South Florida during the
23rd staging of the Miami Carnival
on Oct. 7.
 The event, featuring costume
parades and live music bands, will
run from noon to 11 p.m. at
Bicentennial Park in downtown Miami
and the city is claiming that the fes-
tivities embody the unity of the
diverse cultures that it represents.
 The event will kick off with a
parade of bands and costumes and
feature Caribbean and international
food, beverages and arts and
crafts. Top Caribbean performers
are scheduled for the event For
more information, call 305-653-
1877 or visit
www.MiamiCamival.net.

* Vincentian entertainers join
global campaign
Entertainers in St. Vincent and the
Grenadines last month joined
regional agriculturists and non gov-
ernmental organizations to support
a global move to halt the current


round of negotiations for Economic
Partnership Agreements between
African Caribbean and Pacific
States (ACP) and the European
Union (EU).
 More than a dozen Vincentian
entertainers were scheduled to
perform at a five-hour concert,
organized by OXFAM, the Caribbean
Policy Development Centre (CPDC)
and the Windward Island Farmers
Association (WINFA), which is part
of the global "Stop EPA Day" activi-
ties organized to focus attention on
the EPA negotiations which must
be concluded by the Dec. 2007
deadline.

* Cuba, Suriname strengthen
cultural links
Suriname and Cuba have signed an
agreement, which government offi-
cials say will strengthen cultural
cooperation between the two coun-
tries. The pact will facilitate
exchange programs for artists and
technical personnel.

Compiled from CMC and other
sources.
0


'Space' dominates artist's

exhibition opening Oct. 11


For the first time in close
 to a decade, art enthusi-
 asts will get a chance to
see the works of the
Dominican Republic's Julio
Susana in the United States.
 The painter, sculptor and
professor's last American exhib-
it was in Coral Gables in 1999.
He returns to that South
Florida city this month to unveil
his newest collection of paint-
ings at the Mila Hajjar Gallery.
 The exhibition runs from
Oct. 11 through Nov. 8.
 Earlier this year, Susana
exhibited "Colores de mi Tierra"
("Colors of My Land") at the
Secretaria de Estado de Cultura
in Santo Domingo. He's return-
ing to the U.S. with "Fiesta de
Colores TirplL,.,&I 1 I ,m l of
Tropical CG >1< r, ) at Mila Hajjar.

SPACE
 The artist's most recent


works, about 30 paintings and
25 drawings, will be displayed,
including titled works
"Construction in ',p..L and
"Love in \pI. L .
 "This work is innovative,
and very creative," the artist
said in a recent press release.
"It's figurative, incorporating
elements in space."
 Susana, who dL I. r ib, his
work as "his imagination flour-
ishing in art," has enjoyed
favorable review from Latin
American critics. La Prensa
called his paintings "eloquent"
and "passionate", classifying
him as an "outstanding figure
of Dominican art."
 Mila Hajjar Gallery is
located at 32 Giralda Ave.,
Coral Gables, FL 33134.
 For more information,
visit www.juliosusana. com.


'Umbrella' covers

Rihanna with MTV

 music awards
Barbadian-born singer Rihanna
used her hit single "Umbrella" to
snare two coveted honors at last
month's MTV Music Video Awards
in Las Vegas, United States.
 "Umbrella", a collaboration
featuring American rapper Jay-Z,
won the coveted "Video of the
Year" award, plus "Monster Single
of the Year". Justin Timberlake
was the VMA's big winner, with
four trophies.


October 2007


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