Fresh Milk is excited to share with you our first activation to inaugurate our Slow Reading Programme, an initiative dedicated to “building intimacy with our books while shaping a community of readers locally and across our archipelago.”

In memory of writer and art historian Colleen Lewis — whose collection of publications dedicated to Caribbean literature, history and contemporary art form the foundation of the Fresh Milk reading room — this programme invites you to form a bridge that cuts through the noise of our current media landscape in order to engage deeply with the Caribbean literary landscape.  

Programme #1 – Reflecting on the Lucayan Archipelago Residency

From September to November of 2024, Poinciana Paper Press became home to the first participants of the Lucayan Archipelago Residency in The Bahamas, with the support of the Panta Rhea Foundation.

Barbadian writer Ark Ramsay joined forces with book artist Joko Viruet Feliciano from Puerto Rico to create a collaborative work that develops a critical cultural dialogue with the Bahamian ecosystems and resources.

“Un Santo a la Vez/A Prayer in Motion” is the result of this inter-island encounter, materialised in a carefully hand-bound book conceptualised and crafted by Joko which houses Ark’s written reflections, and masterfully put together under the guidance of Sonia Farmer, founder of PPP.

To bring the nuances and depth of this work into view, Fresh Milk invited established Trinidadian poet, arts reporter and book blogger Shivanee Ramlochan to connect with Ark in an organically meandering conversation of like-hearted souls. We have the privilege of sharing the recording of this exchange with a public audience, inviting you to join in the thoughtful contemplation of the pressing issues that our region collectively confronts.

Joko joins in the reflective process asynchronously, sharing audio recordings and images that guide us through the residency experience from her perspective.

See the full programme here