- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - Hier 06:10

Celeste Mohammed to launch new book in San Fernando

OCM Bocas Prize winner Celeste Mohammed will return to her hometown to San Fernando for the official local launch of her newest book Ever Since We Small on June 29. A news release on June 17 said Ever Since We Small is a deeply personal exploration of Indo-Caribbean identity, inheritance, and womanhood The event will be held at Oasis Garden Terrace, Circular Road, San Fernando from 3.30 to 4.30 pm. This launch marks a homecoming for the author who has achieved accolades across the region and internationally, it said. Following the global success of her debut novel-in-stories Pleasantview – which won the 2022 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature and the CLMP Firecracker Award for Fiction – Mohammed’s second book, published by Jacaranda Books UK in May 2025, explores even deeper emotional terrain. Grounded in her own Indo-Caribbean roots, Ever Since We Small is already earning praise for its lyricism, compassion, and its fearless approach to themes often left untouched in Caribbean fiction. Spanning from colonial India to modern Trinidad, Ever Since We Small is told through ten interconnected stories that follow the lineage of one Indo-Trinidadian family over generations. The book begins with Jayanti, a young widow who makes the wrenching decision to become a girmitiya—an indentured labourer bound for the Caribbean. Her story sets in motion a legacy marked by both pain and perseverance. Her descendants struggle with migration, masculinity, abuse, silence, and the unresolved burdens of family expectation. From her grandson Lall Gopaul, who is seduced by status and power in urban Trinidad, to her great-grandson Shiva, who is forced into a child marriage, to her great-grandchildren Anand, Nadya, and Abby, each character must find their own way through the weight of what they’ve inherited. Throughout the narrative, the living and the dead, the mythical and the real, the sacred and the secular collide in moments that feel at once intimate and epic. Mohammed said this was the book she always knew she needed to write. “It’s not just fiction – it’s drawn from real conversations and observations. [caption id="attachment_1162159" align="alignnone" width="662"] Celeste Mohammed's newest book Ever Since We Small. -[/caption] “The story tries to explore many things that troubled me while growing up.” Known for her deft use of both Trinidad Kriol and standard English, Mohammed’s writing brings rhythm and cultural specificity to every page. Her stories pulse with place, voice, and identity, and she is unafraid to delve into the discomfort of what it means to survive generational silence and still search for joy. While Pleasantview peeled back the political and domestic realities of contemporary Trinidad, the release said, Ever Since We Small is more intimate and reflective. “It captures the internal and external battles of belonging, shame, resilience, and the quiet acts of defiance that shape women's lives across time and place. Critics have described it as lyrical, brave, and evocative. In a landmark decision by her British publishers, Ever Since We Small was released in the Caribbean first, during the recently concluded Bocas Lit Fest. The publication date was chosen to coincide with the 180th anniversary of Indian Indentureship in TT – a significant moment in Caribbean history. International editions of the book will be released later this year. “Too often, Caribbean readers have been the last to access stories about their own culture. This time, we were first,” says Mohammed. “This book is dedicated to my great-grandmothers and to the Indo-Caribbean women whose sacrifices shaped me. Their stories deserve to be heard – first, by us.” The release said the launch is especially meaningful to Mohammed. Born and raised in San Fernando, she credits her hometown for shaping her voice – its characters, contradictions, and silences forming the emotional architecture of her fiction. “San Fernando, particularly my time at St Joseph’s Convent, taught me to observe people – the ways we comingle in Trinidad society, the boundaries we erect, the way we dress up pain,” she says. “Coming back Sando to launch Ever Since We Small means everything. This is where I learned that excellence should exist without arrogance.” The event will feature a reading from the author, a cultural conversation with fellow South-girl, Shelly Dass-Manning, a Q&A with the audience, and opportunities to purchase signed copies on site. Admission is free. For more information or to submit RSVPs, visit celestemohammedwriter.com. About Celeste Mohammed Celeste Mohammed is a Trinidadian lawyer-turned-writer and the author of Pleasantview, which won the 2022 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature. Her second novel, Ever Since We Small, inspired by her Indo-Caribbean heritage, was published by Jacaranda Books UK in May 2025. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her short fiction has earned prestigious accolades, including the 2018 PEN/Dau Short Story Prize and a 2024 Commonwealth Short Story Prize shortlist. Mohammed writes in a combination of Standard English and Trinidad Kriol. A full-time writer, editor, and ghostwriter, she remains committed to challenging myths and misconceptions about Caribbean life   The post Celeste Mohammed to launch new book in San Fernando appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.