“Everything that happens in the universe has an impact on who I am, how I live, and what I write: thought, word, deed. Everything I think, I write, I speak has an impact on the world; like the tide of the sea beats upon the shore, shaping the space.” — Sonia Suzette Williams, literary and theatre artist and educator (January 17, 1967-January 6, 2024); Green Readings, Barbados, June 2013

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MAPPING BARBADOS’ LITSCAPE is an ArtsEtc project to track and document Barbados’ very rich and diverse literary tradition.  At our house, the need to better connect readers to this landscape and region has taken many forms over the years.
  

GREEN READINGS is an annual eco-literary event that ArtsEtc began in 2008 after a request from the Ministry of the Environment, which was seeking fresh ways to promote its public message.

The themed readings typically featured six Barbadian writers over two weekends in June (Environment Month) at outdoor locations. The 2013 Green Readings, pictured here, was staged at Queen’s Park in Bridgetown and on the Boardwalk in Hastings, Christ Church.

IN JUNE 2012, ArtsEtc launched its latest publication, Green Readings: Barbados, The First Five Years [2008-2012] on the Boardwalk at Hastings. It was a fun occasion and part of Green Readings 2012—the annual showcase of open-air environmental readings and performance.

The 48-page anthology features the work of roughly 24 literary and other artists who have participated in Green Readings since its inception in 2008, an overview of the readings and the philosophy behind them.