Talawa Women: New Caribbean Versioning(s) of Female Biblical Narratives

Despite its ubiquitous presence in Caribbean culture there is little critical discourse addressing the influence of the King James Bible on contemporary Caribbean poetry. By contrasting the work of Lorna Goodison, Kei Miller, Pam Mordecai and Kwame Dawes, and the characters and tropes that populate the literature, I will explore the impact of this hegemonic text.
The creative component is informed by reimagining female Biblical characters such as Lilith whose voice is absent from scripture. The critical element utilizes diaspora theory particularly Stuart Hall's monograph, Negotiating Caribbean Identities (1993), and the surprisingly limited body of available literature on this neglected subject.