The latest collection from Olive Senior, Jamaican Poet Laureate, collects her four books of poetry alongside new work written during the pandemic.
Olive Senior Books
This acclaimed author, who departed Jamaica in 1989, has established herself as one of Canada's most internationally recognized literary voices. Her body of work, encompassing poetry, short stories, and award-winning non-fiction explorations of Caribbean culture, demonstrates a profound engagement with the preservation of cultural heritage. Through her distinctive prose and poetic craft, she delves into the complexities of life and identity, often centering the Caribbean experience. Her distinctive style and thematic depth have garnered significant acclaim, positioning her as a vital contemporary storyteller.
The Pain Tree
- 296 pages
- 11 hours of reading
First published in Canada in 2015 by Cormorant Books Inc., RToronto, Ontario.
Dancing Lessons
- 374 pages
- 14 hours of reading
Set against the vibrant backdrop of Jamaica, this novel explores universal themes of family, love, loss, friendship, and belonging. It weaves a narrative that resonates with readers from diverse backgrounds, inviting them to reflect on their own connections and experiences. Through its rich cultural setting, the story delves into the complexities of relationships and the deep emotional ties that bind individuals together.
Arrival of the Snake-Woman
- 176 pages
- 7 hours of reading
The tensions wrought by rapid change and conflicting loyalties are at the heart of these stories, most beautifully evoked in the novella Arrival of the Snake-Woman. Here a young boy narrates the seminal event of his childhood in the late nineteenth century: the coming of a lonely Indian indentured woman into a mountain village.
The Longman Caribbean Writers Series comprises of many classic novels, short stories and plays by the best known Caribbean authors, together with works of the highest quality from new writers.
Boonoonoonous Hair
- 32 pages
- 2 hours of reading
In this picture book, a young black girl learns to love her difficult-to-manage hair.
Dying to Better Themselves
- 442 pages
- 16 hours of reading
Focusing on the post-emancipation generation of the 1850s, this narrative explores the migration of West Indians to Panama, driven by the promise of economic opportunity. Olive Senior highlights how this early wave of migration set the stage for a lasting pattern of circular movement that significantly impacted the Caribbean islands' economic, social, and political landscapes, well into the twentieth century. The book provides a fresh perspective on the complexities of West Indian migration, moving beyond the well-trodden stories of the Windrush Generation.
Pandemic Poems
- 91 pages
- 4 hours of reading
Each of Olive Senior's pandemic poems is a riff on a word or phrase trending in the first wave. This accessible A to Z captures the zeitgeist of 2020, providing a timeline of events as the language and preoccupations changed in response to the pandemic.
When Anna and her family fetch water from the spring, she wonders when she will learn to carry it on her head like her brothers and sisters.
