The occasion of the 21^st anniversary of our annual regional conference on West Indian literature suggests itself as a good opportunity for those in the field to reflect on our discipline, to look both forward and backward at the various stages and phases which the literature (and its critical commentary) has gone through over time. Equally, we welcome papers which map out stages in the development of the career of a particular writer or performer, or indeed in the development of a specific genre. Of course, the theme also foregrounds the stage, and we hope to elicit papers on Caribbean drama, its history and progress and its practitioners; particularly welcome are evaluations of the contributions of the late Earl Warner. Finally, the theme encompasses the staging of any literary or cultural event, and we expect a programme which demonstrates the usual wide variety of interests and responses.

We are planning for the customary schedule of four panels a day (four papers per panel) on Monday 25 and Tuesday 26, with two panels followed by a short business meeting on Wednesday 27, leaving the afternoon free for beach, shopping or sightseeing. All panels will be held in the centrally located Arts Lecture Theatre and will begin at 9.00 am. Evening activities are being planned on campus on Monday (readings, followed by reception) and Tuesday (we hope to stage a critically acclaimed new Barbadian play), with a closing fête on Wednesday at Dr Bryce's home (very near campus).

Registration: as agreed at the last business meeting, mounting these conferences with minimal University funding is proving difficult and a registration fee of US$ 30 is payable by participants from Caribbean institutions, while participants from universities outside the region will pay US$50. These are payable in advance by bank draft or money order made payable to The University of the West Indies, or on the morning of Monday March 25 in the Conference Secretariat (Arts Seminar Room I, located just across the quad from the Arts lecture Theatre). 

• Fee:

  • Participants from outside of the region - US$50.00

  • Participants from the Caribbean - US$30.00

• Form: 

  • to access the on-line registration form, please click here.  (Please use Microsoft Internet Explorer (version 5 or later) not Netscape when registering.)

Copies of Conference Papers: if possible, please bring copies of your paper for distribution; at the least, bring a clean copy for photocopying. As made available, conference papers can be ordered at the Secretariat for duplication at a cost of Bds$6 each.

Programme: to access the programme, please click here.

Accommodation: For information on accommodation, please click here.

Travel Arrangements: As late registration is scheduled for the morning of Monday 25, we envisage most overseas participants arriving on Sunday 24 and will make every effort to meet flights on this day and help with transportation to accommodation. Accordingly, please advise eocal@uwichill.edu.bb of your flight bookings as soon as possible so we can coordinate a roster of Cave Hill staff to meet you. If flights arrive on other dates or at unsociable hours or, for whatever reason, no one can meet you, airport taxis are readily available 24 hours a day and should cost between Bds$35-40 for the ride to campus/west coast (Bds $1= US $0.50c). 

For departure, taxis to Grantley Adams International Airport are readily available by phone, and ranks are located beside Paradise Villas and Sunset Crest, where most people will be staying; book in advance, and note that you will be required to pay a departure tax at check in of Bds$25.

Local transportation: Besides the ubiquitous taxis, local buses and minibuses (ZR vans, so called for their licence plates) are cheap (Bds$1.50 flat rate), safe and reliable. However, due to extensive roadworks traffic is congested in and around Bridgetown, particularly at peak hours, so we recommend choosing accommodation options near campus or on the west coast. Unfortunately, student accommodation on campus is unavailable for the conference period. Efforts are being made to arrange dedicated minibus transportation to and from campus, at least for the day's events; Cave Hill colleagues will of course help out as much as possible.

Meals: Complimentary light refreshments will be provided during the mid morning and mid afternoon breaks, and there are a range of places to buy lunch on and near campus. On campus is the new Student's Café the Staff Common Room, which provides a full buffet lunch daily. Halfway down the hill to the main coast road - conveniently adjacent to a commercial bank - is a takeway barbeque grill, and at the foot of the hill is an Internet café, Café Dos, serving good and reasonably priced meals. Just a little further on the Black Rock road is a popular vegetarian restaurant. The latter is closed for dinner.

Abstracts: Those interested in participating should send the title of their paper plus a brief abstract to:

Mrs. Grace Franklin,
Faculty of Humanities,
University of the West Indies,
Cave Hill Campus, Bridgetown,
Barbados.
E-mail: gfranklin@uwichill.edu.bb

Deadline for Receipt of Title and Abstract: February 28, 2002.