June is celebrated as Caribbean Heritage month and the month where we Read Caribbean. The #ReadCaribbean initiative was started in 2019 to create awareness for Caribbean Authors/ Authors from Caribbean Heritage and Caribbean Literature. It was a way for us to celebrate how diverse, unique and authentic the Caribbean voice is.
In 2020 we have 25 Caribbean Bookstagrammers who will be rolling out Read Caribbean content all June long! If you are wondering where to start, and how to get into #ReadCaribbean why not start by following these Caribbean Bookstagrammers!
1. Akilah / ifthisisparadise
Name: Kiki aka Akilah
Instagram Handle: ifthisisparadise
Nationality: Jamaican
Describe your Bookstagram: Others have described it as an account where I post about under-the-radar/backlist titles with a focus on Caribbean literature, so I’ll stick with that. I love research so I share the google wormholes any stray line in a current read may lead me into in stories. Male writers are an endangered species there.
Outside of your Country, which Caribbean country you visited that you absolutely loved?: This answer is always Cuba but I also really loved Antigua.
First Caribbean Book you can remember reading: And I remember many things…:Folklore of the Caribbean compiled and edited by Christine Barrow
If someone is looking to start reading Caribbean, which book would you suggest they start with? I recently finished Book of the Little Axe by Lauren Francis-Sharma which provided a fantastic reading experience: challenging, illuminating, educational, emotional, unique. It’s a great introduction to a part of Caribbean history that continues to prove that when you read Caribbean you’re reading the world.
A Caribbean Author whose work you always recommend, their name and why? Olive Senior! If you know me you already mouthed the words before I answered. She embeds complicated themes and people in the most heart wrenching, breathtaking prose. I went around recommending The Pain Tree: Stories without having read it and everyone came back giving it 5 stars! That’s how good she is. If you haven’t read her yuh nah live life yet.
Favourite Caribbean release for 2019-2020 (so far?): The Belle Créole by Maryse Condé translated by Nicole Simek
2. Allison /miss.bibliofancy
Name: Allison Thwaites
Instagram Handle: miss.bibliofancy & bibliofancy.bookish.things
Nationality: Jamaican
Outside of your Country, which Caribbean Island you visited that you absolutely loved? Sadly, none. It was a plan for this year and then Covid…
First Caribbean Book you can remember reading: The Young Warriors by Victor Stafford Reid. This was of course because of English Lit. Class. I’m sure I read others as a child, I just don’t remember them.
If someone is looking to start reading Caribbean, which book would you suggest they start with? Here Comes the Sun by Nicole Dennis-Benn or How to Love a Jamaican by Alexia Arthurs
A Caribbean Author whose work you always recommend, their name and why? Nicole Dennis-Benn. She’s amazing in her writing and in person. I love that she is prioritizing Caribbean women’s stories and also queer stories.
Favorite Caribbean release for 2019-2020 (so far?) This is unfair. Patsy was amazing and right now, Curdella Forbes’s, A Tall History of Sugar has been in mine and spirit since I read it.
3. Anna /never_withouta_book
Name: Anna
Instagram Handle: @never_withouta_book
Nationality: Haitian-American
Outside of your Country, which Caribbean Island you visited that you absolutely loved? Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Bahamas & Curaçao
If someone is looking to start reading Caribbean, which book would you suggest they start with? I would suggest Krik? Krak! by Edwidge Danticat
A Caribbean Author whose work you always recommend, their name and why? Edwidge Danticat, because she is the first Haitian American author whose works focus on the lives of women and their relationships. She also addressed issues of power, injustice, and poverty, that I was introduced to.
Favorite Caribbean release for 2019-2020 (so far?) Just naming a few. Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika and Maritza Moulite Golden Child by Claire Adam, The Confessions of Fannie Langton by Sara Collins, Everything Inside: Stories by Edwidge Danticat
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4. Apphia / @apphiareads
Name: Apphia Barton
Instagram Handle: @apphiareads
Nationality: Trinidadian
Describe your Bookstagram: My instagram follows my reading journey since I decided to be more intentional with my reading and decided to read widely and to just read more books. It maps my reading interests. I read poetry, historical fiction & Caribbean fiction, and non-fiction, and I often succumb to the pressure to dabble in the classics.
Outside of your Country, which Caribbean country you visited that you absolutely loved? I haven’t done much travel yet but I plan to and when we’re able, I’m starting with St. Lucia! Then, Jamaica.
First Caribbean Book you can remember reading: The Wooing of Beppo Tate by C. Everard Palmer
If someone is looking to start reading Caribbean, which book would you suggest they start with? Any Olive Senior novels or Miguel Street by V.S. Naipaul
A Caribbean Author whose work you always recommend, their name and why? I always recommend Edwidge Danticat. I love her writing.
Favourite Caribbean release for 2019-2020 (so far?) Golden Child by Claire Adam
5.Breanne /breemcivor
Name: Breanne Mc Ivor
Instagram Handle: @breemcivor
Nationality: Trinidadian
Describe your Bookstagram: All about books with a lot of love for the Caribbean! I talk about reading, writing and give updates on my book – Where There Are Monsters.
Outside of your Country, which Caribbean country you visited that you absolutely loved? St. Lucia – the Pitons are stunning and I have some beautiful memories with people I love there.
First Caribbean Book you can remember reading: I can’t remember the name, but it was a book of Anansi stories I read in school.
If someone is looking to start reading Caribbean, which book would you suggest they start with? Miguel Street by V. S. Naipaul – it’s funny, easy-to-read and quintessentially Trinidadian.
A Caribbean Author whose work you always recommend, their name and why? Edwidge Danticat! Her writing is vivid and real. You feel her characters’ joys and pain. And she gives you such a nuanced portrait of Haiti.
Favourite Caribbean release for 2019-2020 (so far?) One Year of Ugly by Caroline Mackenzie
6. Callie /BajanCallie
Name: Callie Browning
Instagram Handle: @bajancallie
Nationality: Barbadian
Describe your Bookstagram: It features all of my favourite things: books I love, books I’m writing, food and travel.
Outside of your Country, which Caribbean country you visited that you absolutely loved? St. Maarten is my favourite Caribbean country other than my home.
First Caribbean Book you can remember reading: Young Warriors
If someone is looking to start reading Caribbean, which book would you suggest they start with? Any coming of age story such as The Girl with the Hazle Eyes or Young Warriors. Stories such as these always tend to give a unique perspective since a child that becomes an adult sees things in a very clear way.
A Caribbean Author whose work you always recommend, their name and why? I’m currently reading A House of Mr. Biswas so I would definitely recommend V.S. Naipaul
Favourite Caribbean release for 2019-2020 (so far?) Definitely Golden Child by Clare Adam.
7. Cindy /bookofcinz
Name: Cindy
Instagram Handle: @bookofcinz
Nationality: Jamaica
Describe your Bookstagram: My bookstagram perfectly captures a Caribbean girl reading and seeing the world. It is bright, fun, engaging and Caribbean. Also if you love to travel, I feature a bit of my travels as well.
Outside of your Country, which Caribbean country you visited that you absolutely loved? St. Lucia, St. Vincent and The Grenadines, Grenada, Bahamas are all so very beautiful. My favorite place in the Caribbean might just be Bequia and Portland, Jamaica.
First Caribbean Book you can remember reading: A Cow Called Boy and Green Days By the River for some reason these two books were the first I can remember reading.
If someone is looking to start reading Caribbean, which book would you suggest they start with? I usually recommend people start with Caribbean short story collections because they tend to give a rich look at Caribbean life. I highly recommend How to Love A Jamaican by Alexia Arthurs, Where There Are Monsters by Breanne Mc Ivor and PainTree by Olive Senior.
A Caribbean Author whose work you always recommend, their name and why? Kei Miller, I absolutely love Kei Miller’s work, how he is is able to tell a story truly blows my mind. Whenever I read his work I am instantly transported to Jamaica, when I finish I automatically get home sick.
Favourite Caribbean release for 2019-2020 (so far?) I would say These Ghosts Are Family by Maisy Card and The Book Of Small Axe by Lauren Sharma
8. Domonique /thelivrecafe
Name: Domonique S.W.
Instagram Handle: @thelivrecafe
Nationality: Jamaican American (2nd Gen)
Describe your Bookstagram: Livre Cafe is an online community dedicated to the global representation of People of Color in literature and art.
Outside of your Country, which Caribbean country you visited that you absolutely loved? I loved visiting Cuba. I loved the culture and the sense of community. I loved that no one seemed to care about things that mostly material. I loved getting to know people there and understanding their views given the political juxtaposition with my home country, the United States of America.
First Caribbean Book you can remember reading: This is a very difficult question to answer, but I think the first book was Book of Night Women by Marlon James.
If someone is looking to start reading Caribbean, which book would you suggest they start with? For someone who is just starting, I suggest they read a short stories series such as How to Love a Jamaican by Alexia Aurthurs, or Krik! KraK! By Edwidge Dunticat.
A Caribbean Author whose work you always recommend, their name and why? I’m a HUGE fan of Elizabeth Acavedo. I have been following her work for a long time prior to her book release, but I find her work so beautiful and calming. She writes stories that make you feel amazing!
Favourite Caribbean release for 2019-2020 (so far?) I would have to say my favorite release hands down has been These Ghosts are Family by Maisy Card. The way she writes grabs your attention, and makes you question everything you thought you knew. I also love how she integrated so much of Jamaica’s history and culture into her story.
9. Donna /thisbrownegirlreads
Name: Donna Johnson
Instagram Handle: @thisbrownegirlreads
Nationality: Jamaican-Cuban
Outside of your Country, which Caribbean Island you visited that you absolutely loved? It is a close tie between Antigua and Curacao but if I had to choose one only, it would be Curacao.
First Caribbean Book you can remember reading? It was as a child which so many years ago, I do remember the cover the exact title escapes me but it had Nanny in the title. It was a book of Nanny and The Maroons.
If someone is looking to start reading Caribbean, which book would you suggest they start with? I am going to go with a recently written book, The Girl With The Hazel Eyes by Callie Browning.I love the history told of the independence of the island, the layered multi generational story, one that takes you across the Atlantic while retaining the connection to the home Island in the Caribbean. The storytelling is beautiful written and though speaks specifically of one island, it is very relatable to many others.
A Caribbean Author whose work you always recommend, their name and why? Edwidge Danticat Edwidge weaves her home island of Haiti in all her writings, it is vital. Done with pride and beauty she brings the island to her readers. It is informative and entertaining storytelling.
Favorite Caribbean release for 2019-2020 (so far?) Hard one, I don’t know if I have a clear favorite as I am so excited to see the amount of Caribbean Diaspora books published within the last year. There is a book not as well known but it was so engaging and I thoroughly enjoyed, Greyborn Rising by Derry Sandy of Trinidad.
10. Jess /tingly.spines
Name: Jess Cruz
Instagram Handle: @tingly.spines
Nationality: Jamaican, Puerto Rican, & African American
Describe your Bookstagram: My bookstagram is a place where I catalogue my recent reads, curate themed bookstacks (such as AAPI Heritage Month, Black History Month, and Caribbean Heritage Month recommendations), and promote my monthly NYC bookstagrammer meetup that I cohost with @tashabereading. (Get in touch with me if you’re interested in meeting other POC & ally bookstagrammers in NYC!) The name tingly.spines came from my preference for thriller and horror reads, but the page has taken on a life and direction of its own. You’ll find books from many different genres and by authors of many diverse backgrounds on my page.
Outside of your Country, which Caribbean country you visited that you absolutely loved? I went to Cozumel earlier this year and absolutely fell in love with the island and its people! My partner and I rented a motorized scooter and rode around the entire island in one day, stopping at different beaches and chatting with locals along the way. It was a beautiful experience, and I hope to go back again!
First Caribbean Book you can remember reading: Chicana Lives and Criminal Justice by Juanita Diaz-Cotto (This was a book that I had to read in college which was written by my “Women and the Criminal Justice System” professor, who hails from Puerto Rico. She gets credit for every social justice-oriented bone in my body. If you can find this book in print, I highly recommend picking it up!)
If someone is looking to start reading Caribbean, which book would you suggest they start with? I think Queenie by Candace Carty-Williams would be a good place to start. It’s a contemporary novel set in London with a main character of Jamaican descent. And while it’s a very British book, it’s peppered with very relatable experiences for people of Caribbean heritage. So for Caribbean folks, you’ll be able to relate with Queenie on many levels. And if you’re not of Caribbean heritage, you can also relate, but will be exposed to cultural references that will make you want to learn more about the Caribbean.
A Caribbean Author whose work you always recommend, their name and why? I always recommend Nicole Dennis-Benn’s work, especially to people who are not of Jamaican heritage. She has a way of imbuing her novels with universal truths, while also describing a uniquely Jamaican experience, whether the main character is on the island or has emigrated. I think a lot of people have a concept of Jamaicans as a monolith, but her novels tear down that assumption and shed a light on the issues we face as a people.
Favourite Caribbean release for 2019-2020 (so far)? My favorite release of 2019 was definitely Patsy by Nicole Dennis-Benn for all the reasons listed above. I’m also really excited to finish reading Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo, which I’m reading right now and loving!
11. Jherane /rebelwomenlit
Name: Jherane Patmore, founder of Rebel Women Lit
Instagram Handle: @RebelWomenLit
Nationality: Jamaican
Describe your Bookstagram: We’re an open book club with online and in-person meetups that’s based in Jamaica. We’re grounded in queer & black feminist theory, and mostly read fiction books that celebrate voices that are margnialised and bring them to the centre of our discussions. We love talking about books as a community so much we’ve started a podcast, traveling book club, and community library so we can do it more often!
Outside of your Country, which Caribbean country you visited that you absolutely loved? Oh, that’s a tough one, I have the most beautiful memories of Bonaire, I often catch myself day dreaming about being driven down Queen’s Highway with a telescope in the back and great music blasting. Though at the same time I LOVE Barbados, I can’t get tired of reading in Hunte’s Gardens and the food! I love Bajan cooking, the traditional and contemporary – I think about Yelluh Meat all the time… Ok. Brathwaite says memories are like smoke so describing these places won’t ever be enough, you have to experience it.
First Caribbean Book you can remember reading: A children’s short story collection book in school called Buried Treasure and other Stories, that had many stories based here in the Caribbean. Though the first book that made an impact on me would be Kei Miller’s A Fear of Stones and Other Stories.
If someone is looking to start reading Caribbean, which book would you suggest they start with? A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid provides a great historical overview of the issues in post-colonial Caribbean countries that rely heavily in tourism and makes a strong argument for anti-imperialist principles, in less than 90 pages of witty creative non-fiction. A very light, accurate, and deadly punch.
A Caribbean Author whose work you always recommend, their name and why? Kei Miller. Because Kei Miller. Lol no one writes place, our personal histories & politics and humour like he does. Pick any novel, poetry, or essay of his at random and you’ll be blown away, I promise.
Favourite Caribbean release for 2019-2020 (so far?) The Confessions of Frannie Langton came out in 2019, but I hadn’t read it until 2020 with book club and we really enjoyed it. The story follows the confessions of Frannie, a formerly enslaved Jamaican woman who is taken to England as a servant, and all hell breaks loose when she falls in love with her new master’s wife and they begin an affair, and Frannie is later accused of murdering them. The drama, the drugs, the steamy sex, all wrapped up in a book that steeped in heavy research on the history of the abolitionist movement and critiques, the theft of intellectual property from enslaved people in the Caribbean, scientific racist experiments in the Caribbean and a deep examination of race, class, and gender in the 18th century. What more could a girl want?
12. Karen / karen_runwright
Name: Karen
Instagram Handle: karen_runwright
Nationality: Jamaican living in the US
Outside of your Country, which Caribbean Island you visited that you absolutely loved? NONE yet
First Caribbean Book you can remember reading: Escape to Last Man’s Peak by Jean D’Costa
If someone is looking to start reading Caribbean, which book would you suggest they start with? Golden Child by Claire Adam
A Caribbean Author whose work you always recommend, their name and why? Jamaica Kincaid because her writing is really descriptive. You can almost go back in time with her characters
Favorite Caribbean release for 2019-2020 (so far?) I really enjoyed Golden Child by Claire Adam last year
13. Kelly /di_good_books_dem
Name: Kelly
Instagram Handle: di_good_books_dem
Nationality: Jamaican
Describe your Bookstagram: I use my account to learn more about different genres of books, becoming exposed not just to the popular books pushed by large publishing houses but also those which provide stories of underrepresented communities such as POC. At the same time it offers me the opportunity to discuss books I enjoy with people from around the world.
Outside of your Country, which Caribbean country you visited that you absolutely loved? Trinidad. Apart from having a lot of family there because my mother is Trinidadian (I was actually born there), the food is fantastic, and the music and culture are absolutely amazing.
First Caribbean Book you can remember reading: Miguel Street by V. S. Naipaul in high school
If someone is looking to start reading Caribbean, which book would you suggest they start with? This is a tricky one. People’s tastes in books are highly varied, the good news is so is the writing in the Caribbean, so there’s something for everybody. The Book of Night Women by Marlon James is an excellent book if you’re looking for historical fiction. The Golden Child by Claire Adams is a family drama set in Trinidad in the 1980s. Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams looks at the experiences of a young woman of Caribbean descent navigating her 20s, which is at times funny but also takes a hard look at experiences of a young black woman in England.
A Caribbean Author whose work you always recommend, their name and why? It all depends on what you’re looking for. Marlon James’ writing tends to be quite heavy but his repertoire is varied- From Fantasy to Historical Fiction, so he may be a great writer to look at.
Favourite Caribbean release for 2019-2020 (so far?) I’m currently reading These Ghosts are Family by Maisy Card and enjoying the originality of the story along with a look at experiences of middle-class Jamaicans both in Jamaica and when they immigrate to the United States.
14. Lakiesha / _lalabear
Nationality: Antiguan
Describe your Bookstagram: lover of books, travel and food.
Outside of your Country, which Caribbean country you visited that you absolutely loved? Dominica was filled with lust green trees and a beautiful atmosphere.
First Caribbean Book you can remember reading: To Shoot Hard Labour by Keithlyn B Smith & Fernando C. Smith
If someone is looking to start reading Caribbean, which book would you suggest they start with? Jamaica Kincaid, a beautiful written book about my home Antigua.
A Caribbean Author whose work you always recommend, their name and why? Annie John is an Antiguan-American novelist who intrigued me when i first read Jamaica Kincaid. I recommend this book to my students and friends because it is very important to know about your culture and heritage.
Favourite Caribbean release for 2019-2020 (so far?) The Girl with the Hazel Eyes by Callie Browning.
15. Maella / ladyinsaeng
Name: Patra M
Instagram Handle: @ladyinsaeng
Nationality: Guadeloupean
Describe your Bookstagram: it’s about sharing Caribbean narratives through art.
Outside of your Country, which Caribbean country you visited that you absolutely loved? Unfortunately, I never got the chance to visit other Caribbean countries, but I’ve always wanted to go to Dominica and Trinidad.
First Caribbean Book you can remember reading: “Un papillon dans la cité” (A Butterfly in the projects) now known as “Caraïbe-sur-Seine” (Caribbean on the Seine river) by Gisèle Pineau.
If someone is looking to start reading Caribbean, which book would you suggest they start with? I would say “La Rue Case-Nègre” (Sugar Cane Alley) by Joseph Zobel because it shows you the consequences of the colonial times on our modern society. It will give you the basic knowledge to understand how Caribbean culture is building itself.
A Caribbean Author whose work you always recommend, their name and why? Gisèle Pineau. Maryse Condé is our GOAT, but I think Gisèle Pineau has at least one book to match anyone’s taste.
Favourite Caribbean release for 2019-2020 (so far?) The Lesson by Cadwell Turnbull
16. Michelle / sweatingtillimakeittoo
Name: My name is spelt Michelle but actually pronounced Michelle-lee so I use both.
Instagram Handle: @sweatingtillimakeittoo
Nationality: Dominican (not D.R because I get that a lot)/ St Lucian
Outside of your Country, which Caribbean Island you visited that you absolutely loved? I would have to say Antigua since I lived there too
First Caribbean Book you can remember reading? The first Caribbean books I remember reading are actually textbooks or assigned readings. Anyone who went to school in the Caribbean will remember we had those bright coloured textbooks, usually with kids playing on cover that was specific to our school curriculum. Many of those books and the stories within them were written solely by Caribbean nationals.
If someone is looking to start reading Caribbean, which book would you suggest they start with? I would recommend The poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo because I love the writing style and the story line between the main character and her mother is also relatable.
A Caribbean Author whose work you always recommend, their name and why? Elizabeth Acevedo and Roxane Gay are the two Caribbean authors that I’m always recommending to others. Elizabeth because I love her writing style and how she always implements not just her personality but also her culture in her work. Roxane because her writing pushes you to think outside the box.
Favorite Caribbean release for 2019-2020 (so far?) So far my Favourite Caribbean release would have to be These Ghosts are family by Maisy Card.
17. Nohemi /sharpening_my_oyster_knife
Name: Nohemi Kleinmoedig
Instagram Handle: sharpening_my_oyster_knife
My Instagram is books I’m reading , or am planning to read. Musings and reflections on books I’m reading. And my dog, Liam (not the one in the picture)
Nationality: Dutch
First Caribbean Book you can remember reading: Wide Sargasso Sea
If someone is looking to start reading Caribbean, which book would you suggest they start with? I’d recommend The House of Six Doors by Patricia Selbert . It’s an immigrant novel set in the US and Curaçao
A Caribbean Author whose work you always recommend, their name and why? Jamaica Kincaid. I fell in love with “A small island”, one of, if not the first book I read about post-colonialism in the Caribbean. I’ve also read some of her novels and The Autobiography of my Mother is an all time favorite.
Favorite Caribbean release for 2019-2020 (so far?) Clap when you land by Elizabeth Acevedo
18. Sara /saralynnburnett
Name: Sara Lynn Burnett
Instagram Handle: @saralynnburnett
Nationality: American (but, less than a year until I’m CARICOM official ????????)
Describe your Bookstagram: books, swimming pools on beautiful islands, and Caribbean resorts
Outside of your Country, which Caribbean country you visited that you absolutely loved? Dominica. I officially live in Saint Lucia right now but Dominica will always my queen. I have a hotel-build project there in Roseau (the first ADA compliant hotel in the nation even though that’s not an official thing there!) so I spend a lot of time there and I can’t say enough fantastic things about it. If you can – go.
First Caribbean Book you can remember reading: I don’t remember that far back but I remember the first one that literally changed my life and that was Here Comes the Sun by Nicole Dennis-Benn. She pulled the curtain back on the Caribbean hospitality world that I live in and showed me that it’s OK to write about it; to show it for what it is.
If someone is looking to start reading Caribbean, which book would you suggest they start with? Anything by Elizabeth Acevedo. I find her work universally accessible.
A Caribbean Author whose work you always recommend, their name and why? Edwidge Danticat because her work speaks volumes about not just Haiti and the immigrant experience from the Caribbean, but it’s so beautifully written and she writes for all ages. Her work seems timeless, it’s something that I think will be referenced a hundred years from now.
Favourite Caribbean release for 2019-2020 (so far?) I don’t have one because I hold out to buy these books as books (not e-books) and I live on an island without a bookstore (it’s a struggle), but I do have to say that my favorite recent read, even though it wasn’t published this last year, was Naomi Jackson’s Star Side of Bird Hill. I loved every word of it.
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19. Suzanne/ @suzannebhagan
Name: Suzanne Bhagan
Instagram Handle: @suzannebhagan
Nationality: Trini to de bone
Describe your Bookstagram: This account is an attempt to track my reading and writing experiences thus far. I also try to share a little about my life too.
Outside of your Country, which Caribbean country you visited that you absolutely loved? When I visited a friend in St. Vincent and the Grenadines a while ago, I fell in love with Bequia. That island is absolutely gorgeous.
First Caribbean Book you can remember reading: Crick Crack Monkey by Merle Hodge
If someone is looking to start reading Caribbean, which book would you suggest they start with? Ways of Sunlight by Sam Selvon
A Caribbean Author whose work you always recommend, their name and why? Sam Selvon because his work really captures the language of Trinbagonians and his novels/short stories are often sad and funny at the same time (think The Lonely Londoners).
Favourite Caribbean release for 2019-2020 (so far?) Patsy by Nicole Dennis Benn