Miami, April 27, 2018 – Miami Dade College’s (MDC) acclaimed Miami Book Fair (MBF), in partnership with Sosyete Koukouy of Miami, presents the Little Haiti Book Festival on Saturday, May 5 and Sunday, May 6 at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, 5919 NE 2nd Ave. The book festival—which features vibrant cultural exposure to writers, booksellers, performers, and more—is part of Miami Book Fair’s ReadCaribbean programming.
The Little Haiti Book Festival, which has been presented in part by Sosyete Koukouy of Miami for the past five years, is made possible by the generosity of the Green Family Foundation and the FIU Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center. We continue to count on the support of Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the Mayor, and the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners, the City of Miami and Commissioner Keon Hardemon, the General Consulate of Haiti in Miami (cultural section), Ayiti Community Trust, Center for Haitian Studies, Dr. Angelo E. Gousse, the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, and Libreri Mapou bookstore, among others.
The festival will feature authors from Haiti and the Haitian diaspora; hands-on activities for children; workshops for writers; dance and music performances; publishers; Haitian cuisine and more. Workshop and event themes include Zombification, Haiti: Facts and Fiction, Ekphrastic Poetry, Haiti’s Medicinal Herbs and Cuisine, and Proverbs and Comic Books.
Following are some of the events at the Little Haiti Book Festival:
Saturday, May 5
6 p.m.
Montage Poétique
Based on the work of Kiki Wainwright
Dance, drums, and samba poetry
7-8 p.m.
Haiti: Facts & Fiction
In English with simultaneous interpretation into Creole
Award-winning writer Edwidge Danticat, author of The Art of Death, and award-winning foreign correspondent Jacqueline Charles will discuss the role of research in their writing.
Sunday, May 6
11 a.m.
Children’s Activities at Little Haiti Book Festival: Timoun, Vin Danse!
This year’s inclusive program features a mix of Haitian and other Caribbean artists who share a strong African cultural influence, and the drum becomes the focal element to create a cultural bridge between Haiti and its Caribbean neighbors. Through stories, movement, colors, and sound, children will explore traditional Haitian customs in a fun and interactive way.
2 p.m. – 3:15 pm
Publishing for Debut Authors
A representative of Édition Delince will teach authors about the interactive steps involved in the process of a book launch. From conception and submission through editing, production, marketing, and beyond, Édition Delince will demystify the process from the inside out. For the Q&A, Édition Delince will be joined by Romane Armand, who will present the Book of Rhymes for children.
2:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Feeding the Body, Nourishing the Soul: Haiti’s Medicinal Herbs and Cuisine
In Haitian Creole, with simultaneous interpretation in English
This panel delves into the art of Haitian cuisine and folk medicine. A professional chef and a medical doctor explore the various ways that Haitians preserve the cooking traditions of the motherland and use medicinal food to heal both body and soul. With Frantz Delva, author of The Art of Healthy Eating: Let Food be Your Medicine and Nadège Fleurimond, author of Haiti Uncovered: A Regional Adventure into the Art of Haitian Cuisine. Moderated by Leonie Hermantin.
Other presenting authors and artists include Michael Gil, Lucrèce Louisdhon Louinis, Inez Barlatier with her father Jan Sebon, Miami poet Yaddyra Peralta, Rebecca N. Carmant, Françoise Elizée, Nathalie Nérée, Kara Vaval Ferrier, Yanatha Desouvre, and many more.
For a complete listing of events please visit www.miamibookfair.com, call 305-237-3528, or email wbookfair@mdc.edu.
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. Its mission is to preserve, perpetuate and present Haitian cultural performances and exhibitions 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, its language, rituals and traditions, and its deep roots in the African continent. It also produces programs that foster greater understanding between Haitian people and people of other diverse ethnicities, cultures and heritage; and foster respect for the arts and artists of Haiti, African and Caribbean by raising awareness of their historical and artistic contributions to the national and international cultural landscape.
About Miami Book Fair
Founded in 1984 by Miami Dade College and partners, Miami Book Fair engages the community through inclusive, accessible programs that promote reading and support writers year round. The annual eight-day festival has grown into the largest and most comprehensive community-rooted literary gathering in the United States. The Fair features readings and discussions with the world’s most renowned authors, generating discourse on contemporary literature and current issues of international importance. The Fair also include culinary presentations; live music and interdisciplinary performances; interactive, educational activities for children; and more than 200 booksellers and publishers during the Street Fair. Events take place in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole and French. In addition to the annual festival, the Miami Book Fair responds to community needs with a year-round schedule of activities, including The Little Haiti Book Festival, highlighting Haiti’s literary acumen; creative writing and publishing workshops; author presentations; reading campaigns; and Read to Learn Books for Free, a partnership with The Children’s Trust that distributes more than 150,000 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 Authority; and the Friends of the Fair; as well as many corporate partners. Miami Book Fair: Building community, one reader at a time.
Miami Book Fair media contacts: Lisa Palley, 305-642-3132 lpalley@bellsouth.net, or Cristina Nosti, (786) 554-1764, Cristina@booksandbooks.com