WANTED: Poems for the New Virgin Islands Book of Poetry, “Where I See the Sun”

Calling “All poets and spoken word artists from the Virgin Islands (Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, Jost Van Dyke), including those studying or living abroad, to submit up to five poems” for a new poetry book to be published here by House of Nehesi Publishers (HNP).

Lasana M. Sekou, in search of a new anthology, Where I See The Sun – Contemporary Poetry in the Virgin Islands. (HNP photo)

“Where I See The Sun – Contemporary Poetry in the Virgin Islands” is the working title for the planned book. Various subjects and writings styles are encouraged, said HNP president Jacqueline Sample. The submission deadline is February 19, 2016.

The publishing guidelines for the new anthology are found at HNP’s Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1P0T7cy, or can be requested at houseofnehesipublish@gmail.com.

“HNP is working with Dr. Patricia Turnbull, author and senior lecturer at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College in Tortola, to widen the outreach about the planned book throughout Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, and Jost Van Dyke,” said Sample.

Dr. Turnbull’s expertise is key to the book project’s coordination in the Virgin Islands and how the best poems will be selected, said Sample. According to the “Call for Poetry” guidelines, “Judging is anonymous, all poems submitted will be forwarded to the editorial board or committee without names for critical review and selection.”

“The idea is to realize a literary volume of critical import, hopefully to add useful content alongside works that are representative of the Virgin Islands people,” said Lasana M. Sekou, projects director at HNP.

“We’re confident that the collected poems will be representative of the nation’s literary activities that are alive and have long been determined to grow original pathways – whether institutionally acknowledged as such or widely known or not,” said Sekou.

“The Virgin Islands literary landscape includes the late great poet Alphaeus Osario Norman (1885-1942), senior educator and short story author Jennie Wheatley, and bibliographer and author Verna Penn Moll. The poet April Glasgow and literary critic Dr. Richard Georges are among important modern voices. The new generation public recitals such as Microphone Messenjahs and BVI Poetry Slam are definitely stirring up the poetry field in unique and sometimes challenging ways,” said Sekou.

HNP is hoping that young and senior poets, spoken word artists, including rappers, those published and unpublished, will see the new book project as an exciting opportunity for publication. Among the well known poets published by HNP are Kamau Brathwaite (Barbados), Amiri Baraka (USA), Marion Bethel (The Bahamas), Nidaa Khoury (Israel/Palestine), Charles Matz (USA), Drisana Deborah Jack (St. Martin), Chiqui Vicioso (Dominican Rep.), and Tishani Doshi (India).

Sekou is the editor of Where I See The Sun – Contemporary Poetry in St. Martin (2013) and Where I See The Sun – Contemporary Poetry in Anguilla (2015).