Dominican poet opens 2021 edition of regional literary festival

(Dominica News Online) Tamara Lowe, a poet from the northern town of Portsmouth, kicked off the annual Bocas Lit Fest on Friday 23rd April, with her poem “To You Who Love Him.” She was the first in a packed lineup of regional authors, poets and spoken word artists to perform at the 2021 staging of the annual three-day literary festival presented by the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago.

“This is so surreal for me,” says Lowe, who made her Festival debut this year and was encouraged to enter by Dominican author/poet and 2020 Bocas participant Celia Sorhaindo. “I submitted the poem with no real expectations and to be selected, and then to participate – it is just a great feeling. I was blown away!  I am grateful to the organisers of the Bocas Lit Festival for this amazing opportunity.”

Her performance was delivered in the signature open mic event “Stand and Deliver,” this year in virtual format due to COVID-19 limitations.  Hosted by Jayron Remy AKA DJ Rawkus of Trinidad, the segment featured fellow Trinis Alex de Verteuil and Chris Baball and Rita Leone and Lexington Wilks of Grenada.  “Stand and Deliver” ended with another Dominican, Makyba Breezie who read a short story.

From her childhood days, Lowe was an avid reader and lover of poetry and knew that she had a gift for writing poems when, at 13 years old, she wrote one about death. “My mom said it was really good,” she recalls.

Read more at: Dominica News Online

Source: CARICOM TODAY