NOV, 2021
Bookshelves the world over owe a debt of gratitude to the Caribbean literary tradition. The region’s writers, Nobel Laureates, hometown heroes et al, continue to share the West Indian experience from a variety of vantages, languaging something that’s better off lived.
Cindy Allman probably includes a prayer for the health of our giants and further wellspring of talent from the archipelago.
The Jamaican is @bookofcinz on instagram and .com and through her own journey into the worlds that Caribbean pens (keyboards?) wrought has encouraged increased interest in the books we write. #ReadCaribbean is as effective a hashtag as any of the googolplex of those on the www, and it’s a deliberately simple message and mission that seeks to solidify a worldwide love for our lit as well as reaffirming collective Caribbean thought as one of the major motivating forces on the planet.
If you had to pack one book in your go bag, what would it be and why?
CINDY: I would pack A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James. It is a book I have been meaning to re-read, just to experience it again and walking around with it would force me to finally start reading it again.
What excites you about Caribbean Literature and why have you dedicated so much of your life to this ever-evolving body of work?
CINDY: Poet Shivanee Ramlochan says “When You Read Caribbean You Are Reading The World,” and that is what really excites me about Caribbean Literature. Whenever I read Caribbean, I do feel like I am reading more of my world and the world around me. So much of our history, culture and way of life impacts the world. Whenever I open a book and I see myself, my family, friends, and community on the pages, I cannot help but get excited about that.
How early did you realise a love for Caribbean lit and what from those early experiences pushed you to push #readcaribbean?
CINDY: I think I first got that feeling in high school when I started reading Caribbean Literature Green Days By The River, The SchoolMaster, Miguel Street, A Cow Called Boy it flew through those books and I keep re-reading them. As a teenager when I picked up books that feature characters like myself you cannot help but fall in love. Two years ago I became intentional with reading more Caribbean Literature and it is through that I the need to share it with everyone.
Why do you think the movement has gathered the momentum it has and how does that augur for the future of Caribbean creativity?
CINDY: So many factors have led to the momentum and visibility of Caribbean Literature and Authors.
There is the Bookstagram Community who played a huge role, having a month (June) dedicated to just reading Caribbean Literature has helped in cementing and creating awareness.
There is the increase in more Caribbean Authors publishing and signing with the big publishing houses and their books being picked up by Popular Book Clubs in the US that have a very large following.
In the publishing space there is a call for more Own Voice reviews and I think that lead to more Caribbean reviewers getting access to Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) and by doing that they created awareness for the impending release.
I also think Covid is a factor, people are finding more time to read during this pandemic and in their research, they are finding more Caribbean authors and their work.
I think with this momentum we will see Caribbean Writers making a greater push to get their work published. I also believe that if there is a wide audience for persons who are actively looking to Read Caribbean, the publishing industry will have to take notice, they cannot keep telling the one-dimensional Caribbean stories.
Do you think there is a disconnect between contemporary Caribbean art and our pop culture, is there a way to bridge that divide?
CINDY: I think we are bridging that divide, this year I have read a fair amount of contemporary Caribbean stories including Love After Love by Ingrid Persaud, Where There Are Monsters by Breanne Mc Ivor, One Year Of Ugly by Caroline Mackenzie, The Undiscovered Country by Andre Bagoo, When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole, Everything Inside by Edwidge Danticat, just to name a few.
The books touch on gentrification, natural disasters that happened recently in the Caribbean, dating and online dating and they generally show how the Caribbean is evolving. Do I want to read more contemporary Caribbean stories? Definitely! I don’t think they are getting published as fast as I would like but it is definitely happening.
How do you think being inspired by indigenous artists impacts a culture as opposed to an oversaturation of foreign influence in our arts and culture?
CINDY: It is the same way I feel about Caribbean literature and the need to focus on highlighting that. Recently there has been a need for proper representation and I think now is the time for us to focus on more than just sun, sea, and sand because the Caribbean offers a lot more than that.
I speak to over 100 persons on a weekly basis and majority of them are from the diaspora who are looking for some semblance of home which they sometimes find through reading. They are looking for a way to connect authentically and that can only be formed through art produced by indigenous artists.
Recently we have been reading a lot more Trinbagonian authors at Book Club and one of the feedback I get is, “this doesn’t feel like it was written by someone who knows Trinidad,” or “I can see myself and my family in how this book as written” and I know a lot of this goes back to who and how they write. It also speaks to how people interpret art but the underlining of authenticity is there. People know when something is real, they can feel it.
How important is the telling of our stories to the Caribbean presenting our culture and point of view to the world?
CINDY: When I opened Alexia Arthurs’ debut novel How To Love A Jamaican and I saw that the dedication said “For Jamaicans” reading that gives me an indescribable feeling. I have never had a book “dedicated” to me and that may be why I am so enamoured with that book. People want to see themselves authentically represented, Caribbean people want to read, hear, and see more of their stories being told. We have such a layered history, culture and lifestyle, there are no limits to the story that can be told about us.
In the last two years I have seen an increase in more diverse Caribbean stories, it is no longer the story set in the 1980s in a village without electricity, there are a lot more contemporary stories being told and sold. This year alone I have read over 8 Caribbean debut novels, and each were significantly different from the other, but truly presenting our culture and point of view to the world. I am so excited to see what the future will bring for Caribbean Literature.
What have been the books that have most impacted you over the past few months, and why? Have you found any work that empathises with the world in which we currently live?
CINDY: There are some books that I read recently that I cannot stop recommending Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge, Decolonial Daughter by Lesley-Ann Brown, His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie and Mr. Loverman by Bernardine Evaristo. I read majority of these books during Covid lockdown and some right after the killing of George Floyd, the first two books really provided a historical look into why racial issues continue to exist today. They also refer to the Caribbean and the Caribbean diaspora a lot. I consider these two books important and relevant read from an International and Caribbean perspective.
The last two books I read for escapism, sometimes I just need to take my mind off the world and its problems.
Have the restrictions of the pandemic affected the way you interact with your community, has it been a boon for bookworms?
CINDY: The pandemic is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand I have seen an increase in persons reading and joining in on BookOfCinz Book Club meeting. More and more persons have been reaching out to find out where they can purchase books here in Trinidad. The blessing is I think a lot of people are finding time to read and its been great to watch. The curse is that I do not get to have in person Book Club meetings and that is something I know a lot of Readers look forward to. On the other hand, I find a lot more persons are able to do the Online Book Club rather than in person.
Overall, its been a book for bookworms for sure and my Bookish Heart is so happy!
Are you creatively inclined do you write or create in any other way?
CINDY: Does reading a book in a day makes me creatively inclined? I have written over 1,000 book reviews on Goodreads, I have a blog that I update monthly, I feel like I am constantly writing be it through captions on Instagram, monthly newsletters. Will you get a book written by me, highly unlikely, its more likely that you will get a beautiful photo showcasing a book with a caption of me convincing you to read said book. I do consider myself a storyteller and I spend a lot of time thinking of the best way to get people excited about books and reading. I hope that answers the question.
When you’re not reading what are you doing?
CINDY: When I am not reading, I am executing my role as a Marketing Manager at a Technology company here in Trinidad & Tobago- no BOC is not my full-time job. Outside of reading and my day job I do make time for adulting and strengthening my relationships. I do love a nice run, hike and being outdoors but because of Covid I am generally having very close-knit brunches. I also spend a lot of time creating content for BookOfCinz so if I am not reading, I am creating content.
How do your passions and professional commitments dovetail?
CINDY: I have been working in the Marketing and Communications field for over a decade and I have seen how important Social Media for companies to get their message out there.
Having a thriving Social Media platform, I am constantly learning what works, what doesn’t work, how important brand message is and I use all of these learning lessons from BOC in my daily role as a Marketing Manager.
I am also a big reader of non-fiction, specifically those written by leaders of worldwide brands so in reading and learning about best practices I also apply it to my job and BOC. Being a Marketing Manager I sometimes approach BOC like a job – are you on brand? Is your content calendar for the month done? How do you measure success? – some days I do have to take a step back and remind myself that BookOfCinz is a passion project.
What are the future aims of Book of Cinz and #readcaribbean?
CINDY: For the immediate future I am looking to launch the BookOfCinz Library where I will lend people living in Trinidad books from my personal library. I love the idea of the library because it gives access to persons with limited disposal income to read more, also because I often get new releases from Publishers persons can read newly released books.
I am also considering launching my BookTube (YouTube for Books) in preparation for this I will be delving more into video content. Doing an upgrade to my BookOfCinz website is also a top priority. I will also be launching a Pateron page to assist in raising funds to continue giving the BookOfCinz the love it deserves.
For #ReadCaribbean I am considering building out its very own platform on Instagram and Facebook, outside of BookOfCinz, that is something I am working on. I am also thinking through how to make the next #ReadCaribbean month bigger and better.
What would success for you look like on both fronts or is your love for literature all that fuels your pursuit of these platforms?
CINDY: I started this platform because I love reading and I wanted to share that with everyone. It then morphed into me talking about Caribbean Literature because I saw the need to create awareness for Caribbean authors. Success for me is when someone purchases a book based on my recommendation, reads it and loves it. Success for me is seeing the increasing awareness of Caribbean Literature and Authors.
The Read Caribbean initiative is so close to my heart, success is seeing more persons buying and reading Caribbean, having Caribbean authors work listed on international awards. The mission is to get people to read, read more, read widely and Read Caribbean, once this is happening, I know I am doing something right and that for me is what success looks like.
*This is my second interview with Cindy, between them I’ve completed one book cover to cover and started around four more simultaneously. I promise I’m not a hypocrite and that there’s so much good work from here alone you could spend the rest of your life starting as many as you like and not run out of words before the rapture.
FOLLOW: BOOKOFCINZ
Interviewer: Jovan Ravello Illustrator: aaliah de gale
