The Nature Island Literary Festival and Book Fair was launched on Monday July 15 at the University of the West Indies Open Campus in Dominica. The Festival and Book Fair will be held this year from August 9 to the 11, 2013. DM News writes:

The Nature Island Literary Festival began in 2008 and aims to impact writers and readers alike with a programme that includes interactive workshops, lectures as well as performances presented by local, regional and international talent. Literary study involves reading poems, stories, plays, novels, and essays as well as thinking, discussing, and writing about them.

Due to an increase in the desire for practical skills, American universities have in recent years decided to emphasize business and technical education at the expense of the humanities. This decision stems from the assumption that the study of literature has little or no practical value. However in the Caribbean, we believe that with the right instruction, the study of literature is a practical discipline. Furthermore, it cultivates other important abilities that make it a crucial part of education, particularly university education.

For more information, see http://www.news.dm/the-nature-island-literary-festival-and-book-fair-to-launch-soon/ and http://www.dominicalitfest.com/