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.

The popular West Indian migration narrative often starts with the “Windrush Generation� in 1950’s England, but in Dying to Better Themselves Olive Senior examines an earlier narrative: that of the neglected post-emancipation generation of the 1850’s who were lured to Panama by the promise of lucrative work and who initiated a pattern of circular migration that would transform the islands economically, socially and politically well into the twentieth century. West Indians provided the bulk of the workforce for the construction of the Panama Railroad and the Panama Canal, and between 1850 and 1914 untold numbers sacrificed their lives, limbs and mental faculties to the Panama projects. Many West Indians remained as settlers, their descendants now citizens of Panama; many returned home with enough of a nest egg to better themselves; and others launched themselves elsewhere in the Americas as work beckoned. Senior tells the compelling story of the West Indian rite of passage of “Going to Panama� and captures the complexities behind the iconic “Colón Man�. Drawing on official records, contemporary newspapers, journals and books, songs, sayings, and literature, and the words of the participants themselves, Senior answers the questions as to who went to Panama, how and why; she describes the work they did there, the conditions under which they lived, the impact on their homelands when they returned or on the host societies when they stayed. Many books have shown the “conquest� of the Isthmus of Panama by land and sea exploring how the myriad individual lives touched by the construction of the railroad and the canal changed the world as well.

Ambitious and contemporary, this groundbreaking collection offers new short fiction by exciting, fresh talents and established authors from around the world. Covering a myriad of topics--love, sex, death, war, crime, and the environment--each tale boasts a unique perspective and voice, with settings that move from India to New York to Cyberspace. With vibrant characters--including drug smugglers, call-center workers, and tourists--each of the 26 stories tackles personal and social issues in funny, poignant, and often dark ways.

Hurricane Watch: New and Collected Poems brings together Jamaican Poet Laureate Olive Senior's first four books of poetry alongside a new collection. Recipient of the Musgrave Gold Medal in 2005 from the Institute of Jamaica, Senior has long been recognised as a skilful and evocative storyteller but what this book shows is the consistency and range of her achievement. Senior's poems are delicate, formally playful and always finely observed, whether responding to Jamaican birdlife, the larger natural world or the traces of a complicated historical inheritance. Often, and always surprisingly, her poems' brilliant descriptions and vivid, gripping narratives open out into ecological reflections, politics and culture in original, surprising and sensuous ways.

How can a prime minister have been forgotten? Jamaica has been an independent nation for less than 50 years with only nine prime ministers to date. This begs the question, how can one have been forgotten? Hartley Neita, who served as press officer and press secretary to four of them tells how. In doing so, he makes sure to paint the true picture of a man of stature and integrity, who served his country and the Commonwealth with distinction, earning the respect and admiration of all during his lifetime. Sangster's years as acting prime minister to Sir Alexander Bustamante were overshadowed by the fact that Bustamante, while not well enough to carry out most prime ministerial duties, remained in charge of certain public roles and decisions. Sangster, the gentle man of the soil that he was, quietly carried out his role as leader of government business without fanfare. He got the job done. From his unique vantage point, Hartley Neita documents an important piece of Jamaican history in his usual intriguing style; compiling interesting anecdotes, underpinning them with historical records and overlaying all these with his personal recollections and insights. Neita thus ensures that we inherit a great read of the life and times of the shortest serving Prime Minister of Jamaica, and that he, Donald Sangster, remains unforgettable.

Anna fetches water from the spring every day, but she can't carry it on her head like her older brothers and sisters. In this charming and poetic family story set in Jamaica, Olive Senior shows young readers the power of determination, as Anna achieves her goal and overcomes her fear.

Relates Marguerite Long's working and personal association with Gabriel Faure. This book uses musical examples to discuss the interpretation of many of Faure's compositions.

Intended as an introductory sourcebook, Olive Senior provides a background to Caribbean literature, politics and society. This text takes a multidisciplinary approach to the study of women and gender issues in the Caribbean. Olive Senior, using her imaginative skills as a poet, has written a readable books based on a substantial academic examinationof women's lives and work in fourteen countries of the Caribbean. In addition she uses examples from literature and popular culture, adn the voices of the women themselves. Caribbean: ISER, University of the West Indies

"This wonderful anthology of fresh voices from the Caribbean...includes writers from Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. The diverse textures of the stories by 13 established and new authors weave a tapestry of the islands, water, sand, ocean breeze, and rum. Vivid settings serve as backdrops for a dazzling display of personalities."
--"Booklist"
"The wonder in these stories is that they show Caribbean culture--the people, sounds, food, and music...this book will appeal to readers of Caribbean fiction and beyond."
--"Library Journal"
""Pepperpot" is an eclectic mix of adventure, humor, the spirit world, family relationships, and other subject matters which gives you something to think about."
--Ski-wee's Book Corner
Akashic Books and Peepal Tree Press, two of the foremost publishers of Caribbean literature, launch a joint Caribbean-focused imprint, Peekash Press, with this anthology. Consisting entirely of brand-new stories by authors living in the region (not simply authors from the region), this collection gathers the very best entries to the Commonwealth Short Story Prize, including a mix of established and up-and-coming writers from islands throughout the Caribbean.
Featuring these brand-new stories:
"The Whale House" by Sharon Millar (Trinidad & Tobago)
"A Good Friday" by Barbara Jenkins (Trinidad & Tobago)
"Reversal of Fortunes" by Kevin Baldeosingh (Trinidad & Tobago)
"The Monkey Trap" by Kevin Hosein (Trinidad & Tobago)
"The Science of Salvation" by Dwight Thompson (Jamaica)
"Waywardness" by Ezekel Alan (Jamaica)
"Berry" by Kimmisha Thomas (Jamaica)
"Father, Father" by Garfield Ellis (Jamaica)
"All the Secret Things No-One Ever Knows" by Sharon Leach (Jamaica)
"This Thing We Call Love" by Ivory Kelly (Belize)
"And the Virgin's Name Was Leah" by Heather Barker (Barbados)
"Amelia" by Joanne Hillhouse (Antigua & Barbuda)
"Mango Summer" by Janice Lynn Mather (Bahamas)
and others