Quince Duncan, acclaimed Costa Rican author and Afro-Caribbean activist, to speak at Bates College
Quince Duncan, Afro-Caribbean author and activist, will speak at Bates College at 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, in the Benjamin Mays Center, 95 Russell St.
The event is open to the public at no charge. Duncan’s talk is part of the Arturo Schomburg Afro-Latino Speaker Series, sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs. For more information, please call 207-786-8376.Duncan writes primarily in his native Spanish and has published numerous novels, short stories and essays. His works include the essay Contra el Silencio: Afrodescendientes y Racismo en el Caribe Continental Hispanico (EUNED, 2001) and the novels Final de calle (Editorial Costa Rica, 1984), La paz del pueblo (Editorial Costa Rica, 1978), and his most recent, 2005’s English-language A Message from Rosa (Pagefree Publishing).
Recognized as Costa Rica’s leading Afro-Caribbean writer, Duncan has been awarded the Premio Nacional de Literatura and Premio Editorial, Costa Rican awards recognizing, respectively, his literary and editorial achievements.
Duncan’s writing explores the experiences and contributions of Afro-Caribbeans. Born in San Jose of Jamaican and Barbadian heritage, he has tapped his early life, including firsthand experience of racial discrimination, for much of his work.
He strongly believes in the value of diversity, and his writing also reflects his activism for racial equality on a national and global level.
Duncan earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica. His areas of expertise include Latin American studies, literature and black history and culture in Latin America. In 2001 Duncan was awarded an honorary doctorate by St. Olaf College for notable contributions to human rights and culture.
The Arturo Schomburg Afro-Latino Speaker Series at Bates celebrates the legacy of Arturo Alfonso Schomburg and his efforts to preserve African cultures in the Americas. This series highlights contemporary Afro-Latino/a scholars and artists who focus on topics including Afro-Latino/a identity, politics, culture, literature and history.
