Books open our worldview, bans limit it; the 2023 Black and Caribbean Book Affair

BY PAUL JUNOR

It will be an inspirational and empowering three-day at the annual Black and Caribbean Book Fair. It will be held from October 12^th to 14^th at the Blackhurst Cultural Centre. The theme for this year is, “Books Open Our Worldview, Bans Limit it.” The tagline for this year’s event is “Affirming African presence and history, no erasure here -International Decade for People of African descent” (2015-2024).

On Thursday, October 12^th, the first day of the Book Fair there will be reflections on the significance of the International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024) by Kemba Byam, Acting Manager, City of Toronto’s Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit.

Sarah Onyango will interview GauZ regarding his novel, “Standing Heavy,” which has been shortlisted for the International Booker Prize. It is described in the press release as a funny, fast-paced, and poignant take on Franco-African history, as told through the eyes of three African security guards in Paris.

On Saturday, October 13^th, the second day of the Book Fair there will be a presentation on the No.2 Construction Battalion, nicknamed the Black Battalion by historian Kathy Grant between 10:30 am – 12:00 pm.

There will be a presentation geared to students, which will focus on the work of an illustrator in the creation of children’s books between 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm. In the evening there will be the launch of the book, “The Letters: Postmark Prejudice in Black and White,” authored by Sheila White in conversation with Itah Sadhu.

Asha Bromfield will launch her book, “Songs of Irie,” between 3:30 – 4:30 pm in conversation with author Gayle Gonsalves.

Yolanda T. Marshall, children’s literature author, will be presented with the 2023 My People Award. This award is presented to an: African, Black or Caribbean writer in Canada who is excelling at their craft and telling the stories of our heritage in their work. Yolanda is a Guyanese-born author who migrated to Canada at 14 years old.

On Saturday, October 14^th, the last day of the book fair will be jam-packed with a session starting at 10:00 am. There will be a workshop for up-and-coming writers titled,” The World of Distribution-the Dos and Don’ts,” which will run until 11:00 a.m. The workshop will be conducted by leading experts in the publishing industry such as: Maria Martella, owner of Tinlids Inc., and Kwame Scott Fraser, President, and Publisher of Dundurn Press.

Audley-Coley and Michelle Muir will talk about the book, “Audley Enough: A Portrait and Recovery in the Face of Mania and Depression, ” which is penned by Lesley Whyte Redgord and Patricia Lavoie between 11:30 pm – and 12:30 pm. Subsequently, there will be a performance by pannist Suzette Vidale and Yolanda Marshall to celebrate ” Culture Days,” between 1:00 pm-2:00 pm. The intermingling of storytelling and steel pan will be geared to kids for them to see the connection between reading and soca music.

Award-winning children’s literature author Nadia L. Hohn will present her book, “The Antiracist Kitchen:21 Stories (and Recipes)” between 2:30 -and 3:15 p.m. It is an anthology featuring stories and recipes from racialized authors about: food, culture and resistance.

The Book Fair will conclude with a community conversation titled, “Black Women, Oral History and Social Activism In Canada.” It will feature three Black historians: Dr. Karen Flyn, Dr. Funke Aladejebi and PhD candidate Catherine Grant-Wata, Department of History, University of Toronto.