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Writing Life: Reflections of West Indian Writers

“Writing Life: Reflections of West Indian Writers” is the theme of the 2006 Mona Academic Conference which takes place at The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus August 25-27 . The conference will bring together a significant number of poets, writers of fiction and playwrights who have been part of the UWI community, for readings, discussions and other presentations so that the public may become aware of the volume and range of creative writing by UWI-related writers.

Writing Life will facilitate dialogue among writers, academics and policy-makers. It demonstrates the University’s recognition that the Caribbean is a crucible of creativity, producing artists and forms of expression which are of international importance and influence, and that the insights of the imagination are essential in the development process. Some of the writers who have already confirmed their attendance include internationally acclaimed poet Derek Walcott, Kwame Dawes, Jean D’Costa, Honor Ford Smith, Merle Hodge and Kendel Hippolyte

The Conference opens on Friday, August 25, with a ceremony at the Undercroft of the Senate Building Guest speaker will be Professor Mark McWatt of the UWI Cave Hill Campus in Barbados, whose collection of short stories recently won three international literary prizes. Minister of Education, the Hon. Maxine Henry Wilson will also address the gathering. Activities continue on Saturday and Sunday with presentations and discussions that will take place in the Social Sciences Lecture Theatre, Faculty of Social Sciences. Performance Nights at 6.00 p.m. on both evenings will feature Amina Blackwood Meeks, Mighty Chalkdust, Brother Resistance, Stacey Ann Chin and Joan Andrea Hutchinson.

The event promises to be a rich experience and exchange of ideas and creative thought among the most accomplished writers in the Caribbean. Presentations will focus on topics such as the Writer in Caribbean Language Situations, Writing from the Caribbean and the Relationship between Audience and Fiction Maker.
The Mona Academic Conference was initiated in 1999 by the Principal of the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies. The Conference serves as a forum to bring together academics, policy makers in the public and private sector, representatives from civil society, as well as representatives from regional and international organisations, to discuss issues of critical importance to the region and to formulate concrete proposals that could inform policy choices by governments and other stakeholders.
The Conference is held at the beginning of each academic year in order to expose new students to the discussion of issues of special importance to the Caribbean. To date, six academic conferences have been held on: The Caribbean in the 21st Century (1999); Human Resources Development and Workplace Management (2000); Health (2001); Governance (2002); Gender in the 21st Century; Perspectives, Visions, and Possibilities (2003), Revisiting Tertiary & Higher Education Policy in Jamaica: Towards Personal Gain or Public Good? (2004); and Tourism: The Driver of Change in the Jamaican Economy? (2005).

This conference is once again being organised and sponsored by the Office of the Principal. Interested persons may access the complete conference programme by visiting the conference website at http://www.mona.uwi.edu/conferences/2006/monaconf. For further information, please contact Jennifer Clarke, The Office of Planning & Institutional Research, Tel: 702-4241, or email jennifer.clarke@uwimona.edu.jm
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