Safiyya Chance Named St. Martin Book Fair 2025 Literary Ambassador

Safiyya Chance was named the St. Martin Book Fair 2025 Literary Ambassador on May 29, 2025. The fair with the theme “Redefining” runs in the Caribbean island from June 5 – 7, 2025.

St Martin is an island in the Caribbean that first hosted the St Martin’s Book Fair in 2003. The fair was founded by Shujah Alex Reiph, president of Conscious Lyrics Foundation, and Lasana M. Sekou, projects director of House of Nehesi Publishers. Since it was founded, it has offered people from St Martin books, free literary recitals, cultural performances, multilingual workshops, and exhibitions of educational and multimedia tools with upcoming and famous guest authors, workshops, and panelists from St. Martin and around the world.

House of Nehesi Publishers has announced that the 2025 edition will have debut poet Safiyya Chance as its Literary Ambassador. Chance is a poet and blogger at Laughing Over Spilled Milk, whose debut poetry collection Native Choir will be introduced at the opening ceremony of the festival on June 5.

“It is a profound joy to represent the voices of St. Martin at the 2025 St. Martin Book Fair,” said Chance at the announcement.

The keynote address at that event will be delivered by Professor of Trauma Studies, Caribbean Literature, and Women’s Literature, Dr. Dannabang Kuwabong.

Featured guests will come from the host country, St. Martin, alongside Ghana, Anguilla, Guadeloupe, Trinidad & Tobago, USA, Mexico, Cuba, and Martinique. They include Clement Richards (Kaiso Brat), Dannabang Kuwabong, Derek “Auto Doc” Gumbs, Ellalie Audrey, Eric Taylor (Pink Panther), Lasana M. Sekou, Fabian A. Badejo, Heddrick Mc Bride, Joe-Ann Hodge, Jorge Rodriquez, Joseph Ivor Hodge, Margaret Shrimpton, Marie-Pierre Mapie Loiseau, Max Rippon, Marie-Galante, Nicole Cage, Rhoda Arrindell, Roseann Rumnit, Serena Connor, Mellodie Illidge, Rolando Tobias, and Anha Novercat. They will participate in activities like book readings, panel discussions, book sales, workshops, open mic readings, the President’s Forum, and master classes.