Miami, March 27, 2019 – Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Miami Book Fair, in partnership with Sosyete Koukouy of Miami, Inc., presents the Little Haiti Book Festival, a vibrant cultural experience that introduces and promotes writers, booksellers and performers from the island nation. This event will take place on Sunday, May 5, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex and the adjacent Libreri Mapou in Miami, in great part due to the generosity of the Green Family Foundation. Activities are 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 2019 Little Haiti Book Festival will feature authors from Haiti and the Haitian diaspora, readings and discussions, and creative writing and publishing workshops for teens and adults.
This year’s panels include:
- A Proverbial Education: The Use of Proverbs as a Powerful Tool for Community Advancement, with Max Manigat, Mgr. Pierre André Pierre, and Dr. Emeline Alexis Schultz
- Perspectives on Vaudou Religion in Haiti, with Jean Fils-Aimé, Prof. Jean-Claude Exulien, and Ms. Leonie Hermantin
- Call to Action: Restavèk! Child Slavery in Haiti, with Claudy Delné, Dr. Goldsmith Dorval, and Ms. Gepsie Metellus
This year’s workshops include:
- On the Page and On the Stage: A storytelling workshop with Lucrece Louisdhon-Louinis and Fabienne Josaphat
- From the Insiders: A children’s book publishing workshop with EducaVision
- Getting Through the Gates: A Q&A session with literary agent Melissa Danaczko
- WORD creative writing workshop for teens (fiction and nonfiction) with Ebonie Ledbetter
- How to Read with Kids: A reading toolbox for parents with Lucrece Louisdhon-Louinis
Visitors will also enjoy music with DJ Nickymix and musician Michael Gil; dance performances by NSL Dance Ensemble; letterpress printing demos with Tom Virgin; and Caribbean cuisine. The children’s program will include hands-on learning through crafts, with the Museum of Art and Design; folkloric storytelling and drumming with Inez Barlatier and Tradisyon Lakou Lakay; and free books, thanks to Miami Book Fair’s Read to Learn Books for Free program. Storytellers include Edwidge Danticat, Tamara B. Rodriguez, Stichiz, and Marie K. Théodore-Pharel.
The Little Haiti Book Festival which has been presented in part by Sosyete Koukouy of Miami Inc. for the past five 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
WHAT: MDC’s Miami Book Fair Presents the Little Haiti Book Festival
WHEN: Sunday, May 5 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
WHERE: Little Haiti Cultural Complex, 212 NE 59 Terrace and Libreri Mapou, 5919 NE 2nd Ave.
For Miami Book Fair updates, please visit www.miamibookfair.com, call 305-237-3528 or email wbookfair@mdc.edu.
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Miami Book Fair contact: Lisa Palley, 305-642-3132 lpalley@bellsouth.net