I'm a writer and editor with a particular interest in Caribbean literature and art. I was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, and am still here. My book of poems, “The Strange Years of My Life”, was published in 2015.
I'm the editor of Caribbean Beat, a bimonthly magazine; co-director of the contemporary art space Alice Yard; and programme director for the Bocas Lit Fest.
I've also edited a collection of essays by C.L.R. James, “Letters from London” (2003), a revised and expanded edition of V.S. Naipaul's early family correspondence, “Letters Between a Father and Son” (2009), and an anthology of new writing from Commonwealth small island countries, “So Many Islands” (2018).
Find out more about me at my home page, nicholaslaughlin.net.
Latest posts by Nicholas Laughlin from December, 2008
Trinidad and Tobago: Prime Minister's Health
Trinidadians and Tobagonians were shocked yesterday by news that Prime Minister Patrick Manning was diagnosed with kidney cancer. While few bloggers commented publicly, in more private forums like Facebook discussions are raging about the consequences of Manning's state of health.
Trinidad and Tobago: recession blues
The latest news about the world economy reminds Trinidadian Coffeewallah of hard times in the 1980s: "people dropped their house keys off at banks and fled the country to escape loans."
Guyana: new crime hotspot
Living Guyana is "reliably informed" that new hotspots for criminal activity are developing west of Guyana's capital, Georgetown: "another major crime development … which the mainstream media have not yet picked up."
Barbados: HIV secrets
Barbados Free Press is outraged that the head of the Barbados Family Planning Association advocates not informing a woman about her husband's HIV-positive status. "[The FPA head] is a menace to the health of every woman on this island."
Haiti: clean water
Haiti Innovation posts detailed information about a campaign to improve access to clean water in Port-au-Prince. "Their approach is to provide cost effective tablet chlorinators and to build the capacity of community members to manage them."
St. Vincent and the Grenadines: “monopoly money”
A trip to the supermarket forces And Still I Rise to contemplate price inflation in St. Vincent and the Grenadines: "our money has become monopoly money. Yet, I am positive I heard the PM say … that cost of living is declining."
Bahamas: medical accountability
At Bahama Pundit , Larry Smith outlines the labyrinthine twists and turns in a "landmark" case of medical accountability currently before the Bahamas Medical Council — "more than six years after the 42-year-old man who started it all died."
Cuba: government opposes bloggers meet-up
Cuban blogger (and 2008 Best of Blogs winner) Yoani Sanchez of Generación Y reports [ES] on her meeting with two interior ministry officials, after she was summoned to a police station. When they told her to cancel a planned bloggers’ meet-up, she asked for the order in writing. Babalu Blog...
Jamaica: death penalty “savagery”
Idle Yout Speeks weighs in on the death penalty debate in Jamaica: "just beneath the surface we all hold a level of primal savagery that we keep under wraps under the premise of civilized behavior."
Trinidad and Tobago: bridges and barriers
Trinidadian artist Marlon Darbeau posts a series of ironic graphics (1 , 2 , 3 ) commenting on "bridges and barriers" to development — taken from an upcoming exhibition .
Guyana: stop “vehicular homicide”
Living Guyana urges political leaders to overcome their differences and cooperate to solve the problem of "vehicular homicide": "there is a prevailing sense of madness on our roads and efforts need to be made to reduce it."
Barbados: a simple story
Living in Barbados tells "a simple story of a woman, whom we will call M", who despite many disadvantages and a lack of formal education managed to raise two accomplished daughters and lifted her family out of the cycle of poverty.
Cuba: police summon blogger
Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez of Generación Y — who just a few days ago won the Best of Blogs award for best weblog in the world — reports [ES] that she has been summoned by the police for questioning today.
