Reading Group Landscapes in Caribbean literature

To deepen our understanding of the Caribbean as a pivotal place in shaping ‘global societies’ elsewhere, we will examine the theoretical work of Caribbean writers of two different generations who address the movement of people that shaped cultural production in the Caribbean and Britain.

We will focus on an extract from Bajan novelist George Lamming’s ‘In the Castle of My Skin’ (1953) which depicts life during colonial Barbados and the optimistic notion of Britain held in the Caribbean. This will be followed by reading an excerpt from Jamaican novelist Joan Riley’s ‘The Unbelonging’ (1985) which focuses on the first-hand experience of Hyacinth being summoned to Britain, her journey through racial discrimination and abuse and her longing to return to Jamaica.

We hope to encourage discussions on the Caribbean as an ongoing site of creativity in the wider discourses around internationalism, migration, and belonging. This expands on our last Research Network event ‘The World Met Here – Global Re-Visions of the Caribbean Landscape‘ directly through curator Jessica Taylor’s research in discussion with artist Helen Cammock.

Content warning: The extracts selected contain the use of the N-word and descriptions of DV which may be triggering and/or difficult to read. We encourage you to care for your safety and well-being.

This reading group is open to all; it is a supportive and peer-led space for thinking and learning together. It is a space for constructive disagreements and critical engagement that is always based on mutual respect, interest, and care. If you have any access requirements, please email us in advance at info@iniva.org and we will do our best to accommodate them.

All texts are read together in the group, you don’t need to read them in advance. However, if you would prefer to read a copy in advance, please follow the links below.

Watch online

Image: Joan Riley's 'The Unbelonging' and George Lamming's extract from 'Hurricane Hits England: An Anthology of Writing About Black Britain'. Books in the Stuart Hall Library.