Picture a Jamaican storyteller who weaves magic, history, and love into unforgettable tales—meet Curdella Forbes! A bestselling Jamaican American author and Howard University professor, Forbes has enchanted readers with her lyrical prose and deep explorations of Caribbean identity. Her novel A Tall History of Sugar is a vibrant blend of folklore and post-colonial insight, cementing her as a vital voice in contemporary fiction.
Born in Jamaica, Forbes brings the rhythms of her homeland to life, crafting stories that pulse with the complexities of love, race, and colonial legacies. With a style that dances between magical realism and historical fiction, she invites readers to savor the rich tapestry of the Caribbean experience. Let’s dive into her world!
The Making of Curdella Forbes
Curdella Forbes grew up in Jamaica, where the oral traditions of rural life and childhood fairy tales sparked her imagination. By age seven, she was penning quirky stories for school, resisting clichéd prompts to spin her own weird, wonderful narratives. Her academic journey led her to the University of the West Indies, Mona, where she earned her doctorate in 2000. There, she honed her love for Caribbean literature, later teaching at the university before joining Howard University in 2004 as a professor of Caribbean literature.
Her early career blended academia and fiction, with essays on gender and post-colonial themes appearing in journals like Small Axe. But it was her storytelling—rooted in Jamaica’s vibrant culture and her knack for lyrical prose—that set her on the path to literary stardom.
Curdella Forbes’s Unforgettable Stories
Forbes’s novels and short stories are a love letter to the Caribbean, blending magical realism, historical depth, and the lilt of Jamaican patois. Her breakout novel, A Tall History of Sugar (2019), is a mesmerizing tale of Moshe Fisher, a boy “born without skin,” and his soulmate Arrienne, set against Jamaica’s journey from colonialism to independence. Critics compare its epic romance to Gabriel García Márquez’s Love in the Time of Cholera, praising its vivid prose and exploration of race and love. It won the 2020 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award for Fiction.
Earlier works like Songs of Silence (2002) capture rural Jamaican life through a young girl’s eyes, weaving innocence with mature reflection. Ghosts (2012) and A Permanent Freedom delve into diaspora and identity, while her children’s book, Flying with Icarus and Other Stories, brings Caribbean folklore to young readers. Forbes’s style—lyrical, layered, and unapologetically Jamaican—makes every page a sensory delight.
Her use of patois is a standout, grounding her stories in authenticity. In A Tall History of Sugar, she initially translates the dialect for accessibility but gradually lets it flow freely, reflecting Jamaica’s humor, pain, and resilience. This linguistic dance mirrors her themes of navigating cultural and personal identities in a post-colonial world.
Why Curdella Forbes Matters
Curdella Forbes is more than a novelist; she’s a cultural bridge, illuminating Caribbean experiences for global readers. Her work challenges colonial narratives, celebrating the resilience and complexity of Jamaican identity. Through characters like Moshe and Arrienne, she explores how history shapes love and selfhood, offering fresh perspectives on race and belonging. Her influence extends to academia, where she inspires students to engage with Caribbean literature’s revolutionary poetics.
As a Jamaican American, Forbes connects diaspora communities, her stories resonating from Kingston to Maryland. Her ability to blend myth, history, and heart ensures her legacy as a literary lion, following in the footsteps of compatriots like Marlon James.
- Born: Jamaica
- Key Works: A Tall History of Sugar, Songs of Silence, Ghosts, Flying with Icarus and Other Stories
- Awards: 2020 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award for Fiction
- Current Role: Professor of Caribbean Literature, Howard University
Ready to lose yourself in a Caribbean fairy tale? Snag A Tall History of Sugar and dive into Curdella Forbes’s spellbinding world of love and history!