Haitian Creole is the national language of the Republic of Haiti, spoken by nearly the entire population of the island nation. It's also spoken by at least one million people residing throughout the Caribbean and the United States. So it should be a fairly simple task to find plenty of books in the language, right?
"The literature is not really valued because Creole has had a very difficult history in Haiti," says Haiti-born author M.J. Fievre. "For years it wasn't considered a real language."
Fievre is one of the organizers of the , where literature written in Haitian Creole will be taking center stage.
Although Creole was recognized in 1961 as Haiti鈥檚 official language, French is still considered the language of government officials and the upper class. For years, Haitians who spoke only Creole were often treated as second-class citizens.
So, according to Fievre, it was critical for the organization that co-sponsored the book festival, Miami's , to raise awareness about the breadth and richness of Haitian Creole literature.
"So that people know how beautiful the language is," says Fievre. "And that we actually have many, many books now."
For non-Creole speakers who want to participate in the festival's literary panels and Q&As, microphone headsets will be made available to listen to professional interpreters.
The will also feature craft talks, workshops for writers, hands-on activities for children, a film screening, a dance workshop, poetry, dance and music performances.
IF YOU GO:
(Co-sponsored by and Sosyete Koukouy of Miami)
Cost: Free and Open To The Public
Locations: Little Haiti Cultural Complex, 212 NE 59th Terrace, Miami; and
Libreri Mapou, 5919 NE Second Ave, Miami
