Miami, April 29, 2022 – Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Miami Book Fair, in partnership with Sosyete Koukouy of Miami, Inc., presents the 2022 Little Haiti Book Festival, a vibrant cultural experience that introduces and promotes writers, booksellers and performers from the island nation. The festival will take place online at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 8, and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 15. The festival is free and open to the public.
As part of the Fair’s ReadCaribbean program, which elevates cultural and literary initiatives and writers from the region, the 2022 Little Haiti Book Festival will feature authors from Haiti and the Haitian diaspora, a discussion of Haitian music, and a special presentation celebrating the 100th birthday of two Haitian literary masters: Jacques Stephen Alexis and Émile Célestin Mégie.
Sunday, May 8 at 2 p.m.
Celebration of the 100th birthday of two Haitian literary masters: Jacques Stephen Alexis and Émile Célestin Mégie with Arnold Antonin, Marc Exavier, and Lyonel Trouillot.
A celebration in memoriam of the 100th birthday of two Haitian literary masters: Jacques Stephen Alexis and Émile Célestin Mégie. More than just a brilliant intellectual, Alexis was also an active participant in the social and political debates of his time. Born in April 1922, he’s believed to have been killed by the regime of François “Papa Doc” Duvalier. Born in October 1922, Mégie (also known as “Togiram”) was a journalist, writer, poet, and novelist. A defender of the Haitian Creole language since the 1940s, he wrote in both Haitian Creole and French. The panelists celebrating these two extraordinary trailblazers include writers Lyonel Trouillot and Marc Exavier, film director Arnold Antonin, and founder of The Haitian Voice, Angelucci Manigat. For more information, click here.
Sunday, May 15 at 2 p.m.
The Sounds of Joy and Pain: A New Understanding of Traditional Haitian Music, Konpa, and Rap Kreyòl with M. Mushy Widmaier and Ed Rainer Sainvil.
For a long time, the term “Haitian music” mostly referred to several styles, including roots music and konpa. In the past few years, however, rap kreyòl and reggae have gained in popularity, with artists using these genres to denounce the injustices that exist in the country. This panel answers the question: With so many influences from other countries, what is the future of Haitian music? With Haitian jazz musician, composer and arranger Mushy Widmaier; musicologist and author of Tambours Frappés, Haïtiens Campés, Ed Rainer Sainvil; and radio host Georges “Georgio” Léon-Émile. For more information, click here.
The Little Haiti Book Festival which has been presented in part by Sosyete Koukouy of Miami Inc. for the past eight years, continues to have the support of The FIU Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center, the Green Family Foundation, Miami-Dade County Cultural Affairs, the City of Miami and Commissioner Keon Hardemon, the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, and Libreri Mapou bookstore, among others.
About Miami Book Fair
Widely recognized as the largest and finest literary gathering in the U.S., the Miami Book Fair’s eight-day festival features readings and conversation with the world’s most renowned authors and more than 200 booksellers and exhibitors across various genres and interests. Book lovers are also treated to culinary presentations, live music, dance and theater performances, interactive art projects, fun and educational activities for children, and more! In addition to the annual festival, the Miami Book Fair builds community and promotes reading and writing throughout the year with activities open to all, including creative writing courses taught by local and visiting authors, literary gatherings and happy hours and Read to Learn Books for Free, a partnership with The Children’s Trust that distributes more than 160,000 free books a year to children in Miami-Dade County.
Miami Book Fair is made possible through the generous support of the State of Florida and the National Endowment for the Arts; the City of Miami; Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners; Miami-Dade County Public Schools; the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau; the Miami Downtown Development; and the Friends of the Fair; as well as many corporate partners. Miami Book Fair: Building community, one reader at a time.
About Sosyete Koukouy of Miami
Established in 1985, Sosyete Koukouy of Miami, Inc. (Sos*ye*te Koo*Kouy), is dedicated to preserving Haitian culture in the United States through education, arts and cultural presentations to Creole and non-Creole speaking audiences. In support of that mission, Sosyete Koukouy presents and produces cultural programs that increase awareness of Haitian people, their language, rituals and traditions, and their deep roots in the African continent. It also produces programs that foster greater understanding between Haitians and people of other ethnicities, cultures and heritage; and fosters respect for the art and artists of Haiti, Africa and the rest of the Caribbean by raising awareness of their historical and artistic contributions to the national and international cultural landscape. For more information, contact: Jan Mapou: 305-757-9922
For Miami Book Fair updates, please visit www.miamibookfair.com, call 305-237-3528 or email wbookfair@mdc.edu.
Miami Book Fair contact: Lisa Palley, 305-642-3132 lpalley@bellsouth.net.