The 4th edition of the Congress of Caribbean Writers, which ended Saturday 19th April, with the consecration of the work co-written by Simone and André Schwarz-Bart, was surely one of the most “popular” editions ever.

With regard to the Congress itself, registered attendance from the opening ceremony and over the course of the 2 days of work, shows that this encounter, which was launched in 2008 by the Regional Council of Guadeloupe, is now permanently inscribed on the calendar of major international cultural events organized in Guadeloupe.
This year, once again, the days earmarked for meetings with school groups were a clear success with our high-school students. The authors invited to these exchanges particularly appreciated these moments, which are key to stimulating curiosity in young minds.
Mention should also be made of the moving tribute that was paid to Caribbean icon, Maryse Condé. The collective works of this internationally recognized novelist and playwright were notably analyzed as being the echo of the theme of the Congress: Travel, Migration and Diasporas in Caribbean literatures.
This Congress of Caribbean Writers is original, if not unique in its design. This was reflected in the number of registrations and in the language diversity within the Board of the Association of Caribbean Writers: 10 countries represented. The Bureau is presided over by Mr. Earl Lovelace of Trinidad & Tobago, and consists of administrators having 5 different nationalities.
Overall, the 4th edition was a successful one and the invited writers were satisfied. A Caribbean spirit was present throughout and all were able to appreciate the generosity and open-mindedness that are characteristic of this Guadeloupean initiative.
Finally, after Earl Lovelace in 2011 and Edwige Danticat in 2013, the 2015 Grand Prix of the Association of Caribbean Writers attributed to “L’ancêtre en Solitude” (The Ancestor in Solitude) by Simone and André Schwarz-Bart, Editions Seuil, 2015 (Guadeloupe), is certainly a great success, but, above all else, it is the crowning of a work that is not only Francophone, but Caribbean, selected from among 42 competing books (18 in French, 10 in English and 14 in Spanish).
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