'A landmark, not in the West Indian, but in the contemporary novel.' C. L. R. James'First-class talent.' The VoiceTrinidad, 1970s. Calvary Hill - poverty stricken and rubbish-strewn - is home to a community of people who come together during the joyful yearly town Carnival, becoming larger-than-life versions of themselves. But when it ends, and the strains of day-to-day life grow large, what happens to the peoples...

Winner of the Commonwealth Writers Prize'An amazingly vivid and joyful novel.' The Times'Vital, life-enhancing.' Time OutAlford, the youngest son of a poor farm worker, has risen above his class to become a schoolteacher. He, like many young people in Trinidad, dreams of heading to England for a better life. Idealistic and determined, Alford travels to the capital to campaign for his community and,...

Earl Lovelace is a major Caribbean writer, one of the few of his generation to have lived in and written almost exclusively from the region. With sharp observation and even sharper wit, his writing pulses with the rhythm, flow and vibrancy of the lives of “ordinary” people, whose culture and language he champions.Lovelace explores the intricacies of his multicultural society as it grapples with a legacy of slavery, indentureship and colonialism and faces the challenges of independe...

'Each word is a revelation.' The Times'Earl Lovelace is the real stuff, a proper writer.' James KelmanIn the sleepy village of Kumuca, Trinidad, change happens slowly. Yet to move with the times and expand the horizons of the villagers, the elders elect to build a school and bring in a schoolmaster with great celebration. The warnings of a local priest - that the quest for education will bring more to the village than they expect - are ignored. But the vill...

In the town of Cascadu, Trinidad, the 1970 Black Power rebellion has failed. Sonnyboy, hapless and luckless, is desperate to be recognised as part of the rebellion and forces the uninterested police to arrest him. KingKala, a singer, returns from detention and is sidelined in the calypso tent, his music dated and unfashionable. They now hope to make their name in the movie that is being shot on the island - but that too does not end as expected.And so we follow the townsfolk throug...

Earl Lovelace is a major Caribbean writer, one of the few of his generation to have lived in and written almost exclusively from the region. With sharp observation and even sharper wit, his writing pulses with the rhythm, flow and vibrancy of the lives of “ordinary” people, whose culture and language he champions. Lovelace explores the intricacies of his multicultural society as it grapples with a legacy of slavery, indentureship and colonialism and faces the challenges of independence and...

Earl Lovelace writes about the survival of a small community of Spiritual Baptists with a lyricism and understanding of dialogue which has established an international reputation.'If we clap we hands and catch the Spirit, the police could arrest us. One day we was Baptist, the next day we is criminals.'The Wine of Astonishment is a poignant and devastating tale of the discrimination the Black community of Bonasse faced during the first half of the 20th century. Told...

"To travel through the 19 works of poetry and prose in this remarkable anthology is to experience Trinidad and Tobago through a kaleidoscopic lens." — Publishers Weekly, starred reviewTwo of Trinidad's top writers masterfully curate this literary retrospective of the nation's best writing over the past century from authors who were largely part of the literary wave that swept in with Trinidadian Independence in 1962. Though Trinidad N...

"To travel through the nineteen works of poetry and prose in this remarkable anthology is to experience Trinidad and Tobago through a kaleidoscopic lens. The writings are grouped into four historically significant periods ('Leaving Colonialism,' 'Facing Independence,' 'Looking In,' and 'Losing Control'). It's an effective construct; the reader experiences island culture and history as a part of its time, formed by a pastiche of nationality, culture, and social class. Standouts abound."

Contents: 1. Use Preview To See Table of Contents Inside Also available: The Complete Harvard Classics Collection (51 Volumes + The Harvard Classic Shelf Of Fiction) 50 Masterpieces You Have To Read Before You Die (Golden Deer Classics)