The Indo-Caribbean Voices You Should Be Reading
The Indo-Caribbean voices you should be reading aren’t just important - they are essential to understanding the full scope of South Asian history and identity.
July 18th to August 17th marks South Asian Heritage Month - a time to commemorate, mark, and celebrate South Asian cultures, histories, and communities. As conversations about representation continue to evolve in literary spaces, there have been calls to diversify South Asian reading lists, with accounts like @wiltedpages on Instagram leading the conversation. The South Asian diaspora encompasses such a myriad of stories and identities, and unfortunately many communities are not always given the space and mainstream representation they deserve.
One group which is often overlooked is the Indo-Caribbean community. Indo-Caribbeans are the descendants of Indian indentured labourers who were brought to the Caribbean by European colonial powers, particularly Britain, following the abolition of slavery in the 19th century. Many came from caste-oppressed backgrounds and were misled about the conditions they would face abroad. Lured by the promise of opportunity, they arrived to find brutal, exploitative conditions that closely resembled slavery. Many members of the Indo-Caribbean community arrived in the UK as part of the Windrush generation, yet their stories remain largely untold. Often coming from from caste-marginalised backgrounds, they remain invisible in official records such as the UK census, which has no classification for "Indo-Caribbean."
However, despite this painful history, Indo-Caribbean communities have forged a distinct cultural identity - a blend of Indian traditions and Caribbean influences that continues to evolve today. See below our curated Indo-Caribbean Reading List, celebrating the vibrant Indo-Caribbean voices that deserve a space on your bookshelf.
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Coolie Woman: The Odyssey of Indenture by Gaiutra Bahadur
In 1903 a Brahmin woman sailed from India to Guyana as a ‘coolie’, the name the British gave to the million indentured labourers they recruited for sugar plantations worldwide after slavery ended. The woman, who claimed no husband, was pregnant and travelling alone. A century later, her great-granddaughter embarks on a journey into the past, hoping to solve a mystery: what made her leave her country? And had she also left behind a man?
We recommend it for its rich, feminist exploration of hidden histories and its deep personal resonance.
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Two Times Removed: An Anthology of Indo-Caribbean Fiction edited by Tiara Jade Chutkhan
Two Times Removed brings together a curated collection of sixteen short stories written by the new generation of Indo-Caribbean storytellers. Together, these writers explore adolescence, relationships, trauma, family, identity and more, bringing to life the experiences of the modern day Indo-Caribbean. Each character navigates their world with the influences of all these elements, making them uniquely Two Times Removed.
We recommend it for its fresh, multivocal celebration of Indo-Caribbean identity today.
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Jahaji: An Anthology of Indo-Caribbean Fiction edited by Frank Birbalsingh
Spanning fifty years and three generations, the sixteen writers featured in Jahaji give us an imaginative depiction of the experiences of their people -the hopes, aspirations and frustrations of life in colonial Trinidad and Guyana, the post-independence tribulations of third-world citizens, and the quest for meaning and identity in the second migration to Canada, the United States, and Britain.
We recommend it for its historical scope and literary insight into the Indo-Caribbean journey.
Written in a remarkable combination of Standard English and Trinidad Creole, Pleasantview is a landmark work in international fiction that showcases the entrenched political, racial, and class dichotomies of life in Trinidad: the generosity (yet cruelty) of the average Trini; the sense of optimism (and yet, despair) which permeates everyday interaction; and the musicality of Caribbean creole (kriol) expression that masks an ingrained and frequently violent patriarchy.
We recommend it for its fearless storytelling and rich cultural voice by a leading voice of Indo-Caribbean fiction .
This second novel-in-stories by OCM Bocas award-winning author Celeste Mohammed, Ever Since We Small is an intricately woven tapestry of stories where survival, resilience and self-discovery are passed down through generations of an Indo-Trinidadian family. The book follows the bloodline of a young woman, Jayanti, after her decision to become a girmitiya, an indentured labourer in the Caribbean. Themes of shame, love, and intergenerational healing are woven through magical realism and folklore.
We recommend it for its epic scope and breathtaking blend of history, magic, and intergenerational storytelling.
These are just a few of the Indo-Caribbean voices you should be reading - storytellers whose work expands and deepens the South Asian literary landscape.
Ever Since We Small will be out this October - don’t miss this landmark work of Indo-Caribbean fiction and pre-order your copy now. Available here and everywhere books are sold.
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