Creatives and creators came together at Haymans Market on Thursday, May 30, as Caribbean author Oonya Kempadoo presented ‘NANIKI IMMERSIVE: A Caribbean Story World’ for the first time in Barbados. The event, supported by the High Commission of Canada, provided a magical introduction to Kempadoo’s immersive multimedia presentation of Naniki, her novel exploring the Afro-Indigenous experience in the Caribbean.

Kempadoo reflected, “This is not so much about a ‘hero’s journey’, and the characters themselves, but more of an exploration, a journey through the island chain of the Caribbean. I tried most of all to convey the movement of water, wind, migration, time, and flow that interweaves and connects everything here in the Caribbean.”

Artist and UWI Cave Hill campus lecturer Russell Watson served as emcee, facilitating a thoughtful conversation with Kempadoo on the eco-social project. The discussion delved into the work’s themes of climate action and African and Indigenous identities, addressed new opportunities of AI artwork which feature in Kempadoo’s multimedia presentation, and highlighted the importance of casting performers for the production who reflect the Caribbean’s diversity. Notably, Barbadian marine biologist Angelique Brathwaite stars as the work’s co-protagonist, Amana, in an underwater video which is part of the production.

Political Counsellor Miriam van Nie shared, “Canada is always keen to facilitate advocacy initiatives that encourage international collaboration, foster cultural exchange, and underpin our commitment to promote diversity and inclusion. Oonya’s production explores and exemplifies themes that reinforce foreign policy priorities for Canada including climate action and making space for Indigenous peoples’ experiences and stories.  Yesterday’s event offered a visual and auditory taste of Oonya’s larger production and highlighted the Canada-Caribbean connections that we continue to foster and to celebrate.” 

A Grenadian, Guyanese and UK citizen, Oonya Kempadoo’s Caribbean heritage is deeply embedded in her work serving as the backdrop for Naniki and her three previous novels – All Decent Animals, Tide Running, and Buxton Spice. A resident of Montreal, Canada, Kempadoo is visiting Barbados to forge connections with local cultural practitioners and to launch Naniki, which is available at Black Rock Books.