Anguilla Lit Fest 2017 is nearly upon us and if you are still wondering if you should make time to try it or shell out for a ticket just read on…

You may have preconceptions that a Lit Fest will be a tad, well, stuffy. It’s not. It’s a lot of fun as well as being a real treat, intellectually and socially.

You may think its not relevant if you don’t write poetry or prose, but it is. It’s enlightening, thought provoking and enjoyable for anyone who likes to read.

The Lit Fest is for those who love to hear interesting stories told by smart people in an open and non judgmental setting. If that sounds appealing, Anguilla’s Lit Fest and the people who participate in it will delight you.

Every year I get excited about these busy festival days and nights.  I get inspired and my passion for my writing revives. I get to meet, chat and lime with fabulous people: award winning writers, poets, journalists and performers. People like the wonderful writer and fabulous presenter, John Searles, who was one of the stars of the show last year and is shown in this blog post’s picture with  Yona Deshommes and myself. This year will be no different. If you come too you will be able to listen to and join in with presentations where incredible people like Ilyasah Shabazz, daughter of Malcolm X, share stories then answer your questions in an intimate setting.

Come to Lit Fest and you will enjoy wonderful performances of poetry and spoken word that delight and surprise you (J Ivy, Vanessa Croft, Fiona Wilkinson). Don’t worry that you will be stuck in a stuffy conference room – all the sessions take place outside, under shady tents, in Paradise Cove’s beautiful gardens

And it’s really, really, really good value. The ticket price includes tasty food from – breakfast and lunch buffets –  as well as a slew of fun parties for you to enjoy in the evening with your new Lit Fest family.

When Colin Channer, co founder of Jamaica’s legendary Calabash Festival said, ‘This is one of the best Literary Festivals I have every been to,” then offered to come back to do free workshops with our schools, you know the Anguilla Lit Fest is a literary event of quality. When my  friends (who love to read but don’t want to write), Sue Ruan and Marian Tackling said, “It was bloody brilliant,” and “I will definitely go again next year”  after I strong armed them into going the first time, you know it has popular appeal. When my buddy,  Lorraine T Rowe, travels from NYC to Anguilla for the 5th Year straight, to hang out with her Lit Fest Family, you know the event has special appeal and makes long time visitor friends for Anguilla.

Make this year, the year you finally treat yourself to a truly different Anguilla experience because Lit Fest really is as good as people say it is.