Indo-Caribbean Literature and Culture
A Conference to Celebrate the 170thAnniversary of the Arrival of
East Indians in the Caribbean
University of Warwick
26th-27th June 2008
 
 
Between 1838 and 1917 several thousand East Indians crossed the ‘black waters’ (kala-pani) and
were indentured in the Caribbean to replace slave labour. Their hard work saved an ailing sugar
industry, rescuing many British colonies from economic disaster. In recent times, there has been
a conscious drive within Indo-Caribbean scholarship to re-explore the system of indentureship
with a view to gaining a deeper understanding of the Indian experience of migration and work.
Recruitment and labour techniques have been posed under scrutiny; the brutality and injustice of
the system have been exposed; and the struggle for survival of the indentured coolies has been
acknowledged. Yet, the investigation of their remarkable history, made of continuities and
transformations, must proceed hand in hand with the appreciation of East Indians’ contribution
to the social, political and cultural growth of the Caribbean. Some of the greatest writers,
politicians, cricketers, doctors and businessmen from the Caribbean are of Indian origin. On the
occasion of the 170th anniversary of the arrival of East Indians in Guyana this conference aims to
celebrate the Indian presence in the Caribbean and to stimulate dialogue on Indo-Caribbean
history and culture.
 
Suggested topics for individual papers:
Migration narratives and experiences
Indenture and exile
Politics and labour in the Caribbean
Construction and Re-construction of Indo-Caribbean identities
Indo-Caribbean literature and art
Gender and sexuality
Religion and ethnicity
Indian women in the Caribbean
 
 
Submissions: Proposals are invited from established and new scholars, including postgraduate
researchers. 200 to 250-word abstracts should be sent to L.Gramaglia_at_warwick.ac.uk and
should arrive by Monday 10th March 2008. Responses will be given to proposals received before
this deadline.
To register for the conference please contact L.Gramaglia_at_warwick.ac.uk.
This conference is sponsored by the HRC.

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Received on Wed Mar 12 2008 - 10:28:28 EST