Guest Authors: Lorraine Avila + Djeli Clark + Shakirah Bourne

Conversation Partner: Tanya Batson- Savage

Djeli and Lorraine are all writers of stories for young readers. In following their calling to write, they have chosen the path that takes them back to their familial lands, which sometimes stretches all the way back to Africa. They each mine the vast storehouses of their Caribbean ancestries for inspiration and invite young readers, generations removed from venerable lore and myth, to feast at a smorgasbord of narratives which often combines tribal wisdom, pre-modern civilisations and the supernatural. Young heroines battle for supremacy with ancient sea witches. School-aged students channel the spiritual practices of their ancestors, and guided by divine visions, save communities. Children are reluctant inductees into societies of magic where they find the confidence to fell giants of evil. Within each story is a rich confluence of contemporary issues and time-honoured wisdoms. There is a seamless interplay between the past and present, here and there, them and us.

Their writings highlight the invaluable insights orally passed down from our forebears yes, but more poignantly, provide a tool with which young readers (who themselves might be struggling with issues of identity) may fell the ugly giants of race, injustice, intolerance and invisibility. Their stories kindle interests in the folktales of the Caribbean and West Africa, foster pride and invite young readers into a new community in which they find belonging.

Writing for the Future is a joint conversation guided by the leading editor/publisher of children's stories in the Caribbean, Tanya Batson-Savage and proves that all that is needed for tomorrow are found in the stories of yesterday. Join us as we celebrate these writers whose uber modern stories are cultivating curiosity, respect and ancestral kinship with Caribbean culture and spirituality.