The Centre for Caribbean Studies was established in October 1984 with assistance from the Leverhulme Trust and the Nuffield Foundation. It was the first such Centre in the UK to recognise the significance of the Caribbean region and its historically interdependent linkages with the UK and the world. Its principal aim is to stimulate teaching and research on the Caribbean. It also encourages the study of the Caribbean in an Atlantic context, emphasising African, North and South American, Asian and European influences from a comparative, cross-cultural and interdisciplinary perspective. Additionally, it serves as a national forum for individuals and organisations with an interest in and concern for the diaspora as well as those countries bordering the Caribbean.
In 2010 on its 25th anniversary, the Centre was re-named the Yesu Persaud Centre for Caribbean Studies in honour of the Guyanese philanthropist and businessman and in recognition of his long association with and support for the Centre, which has grown to become one of Europe’s leading institutions for Caribbean scholarship.
The current director of the Centre is Dr Fabienne Manicom (Hispanic Studies)
Latest News
This year's seminar series will be held online due to Covid-19.
For any enquiries to the Centre, please contact the Director, Dr Fabienne Viala, F.Viala@warwick.ac.uk or Lisa Cook, Centre Secretary, Lisa.D.Cook@warwick.ac.uk
Annual Walter Rodney Lecture 2020
Last year, the Centre hosted Jorge L. Giovanetti Torres, Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the
University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. His presentation for the Annual Walter Rodney lecture entitled: Caribbean Hostile Environments: Black British Migrants before the Windrush can be found here:
https://estream.warwick.ac.uk/View.aspx?id=38960~5n~GNQdHinPlZ
There are also links below to recordings of previous events and other films which may be of interest:
Autumn Term 2020 seminar series
Hosted jointly by The Yesu Persaud Centre for Caribbean Studies and the School for Modern Languages this presentation was given by guest speakers Maria Grau Perejoan and Loretta Collins Klobah. For a link to their talk on Translating women poets through a Caribbean feminist and postcolonial approach, please click the following link.
The 2019 Walter Rodney Lecture
In 2019 this annual lecture was given by Dr Patricia Rodney, CEO of the Walter Rodney Foundation (WRF), established by the Rodney family. As a seasoned public health professional, Dr Rodney’s career spans the disciplines of health, adult education and literacy, social work and women, gender and development. An audio recording of the talk, Living with a Legacy: My Journey with Walter Rodney can be found here (use Ctrl & Click to open in a new tab):
https://echo360.org.uk/media/6f072348-ab9d-4302-8930-6bb74b383b0b/public
The Ameena Gafoor Lecture 2019.
The Gafoor Lecture 2019, on indentureship was given by Professor Clem Seecharan. It was a joint activity between the Yesu Persaud Centre for Caribbean Studies and the Guyana Speaks organisation, held in London on 29th September. Professor Seecharan's lecture was followed by a tribute to Ameena Gafoor and the launch of her latest publication, a bibliography of IndoCaribbean writing.
Follow this link for the lecture on YouTube
For links to earlier recordings from the Ameena Gafoor lecture series, please see this page on our website https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/ccs/ameenagafoorlextureseries/
STREAM 80 INDIGENOUS FILMS FROM LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN FOR FREE ON YOUTUBE
Here is a link to films online from Latin America & the Caribbean for Free on YouTube – Repeating Islands
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWuYED1WVJIN2UN_XKOKpTvDXv_N520C2