Bahamian storyteller Heather Thompson will participate in a storytelling session at Marcus Garvey Elementary in Southern Los Angeles, and in the inaugural Caribbean Literary Conference (CARICON) poetry slam event as part of its activities for the 2023 conference.
Thompson is one of three Bahamians, along with Bahamian authors Patricia Glinton-Meicholas and Jeanne I. Thompson, who will be featured.
CARICON is an international literary conference that brings together successful elements of Caribbean literature and cultural heritage each year on the first weekend of June.
This event sets the stage for the start of Caribbean American Heritage Month celebrations in Southern California. The conference, which will run from June 3-4, will feature a lineup of distinguished authors, scholars, and artists who will engage in panel discussions, workshops, and readings.
Thompson will take part in a storytelling session on June 2, and in the poetry slam event on June 3.
CARICON Connection is an activity of the conference that seeks to build community engagement and promote cultural exchange. Through community activities like the storytelling session at Marcus Garvey Elementary, CARICON Connection aims to connect conference participants with local communities and foster mutual understanding and appreciation.
“We are thrilled to have Heather Thompson join us for CARICON 2023,” said V. Steve Russell, CARICON director. “It’s great to have The Bahamas represented and Heather is the perfect fit for our conference. We look forward to her sharing aspects of Bahamian culture with our audience.”
The session will offer a unique opportunity for cultural exchange that is central to CARICON.
Thompson is a retired attorney, experienced actress and storyteller. The highlight of her story-telling career to date has been as a finalist in the 2020 and 2021 NTUKUMA Ananse SoundSplash Storytelling Conference & Festival. She is a regular on Caribbean Folklore Storytime, most memorably with, “Sarah Moultrie, Black Loyalist and Freedom Fighter.” Her version of an old Bahamian folktale, “Brer Rabby’s Free Lunch” was selected to represent The Bahamas at Expo 2020 Dubai in Children’s Tales from Around the World. She was also featured in the October 2021 production of Bel Canto & Friends’ “Discovering Our National Heroes” where she was also a production manager and executive producer.
