Edgar Cairo, Prolific Surinamese Poet

Today we celebrate Surinamese poet, Edgar Cairo. Edgar Eduard Cairo was born in Paramaribo, Suriname on May 7, 1948. He was a prolific writer (he is credited with approximately 40 works in various genres), playwright, as well as a visual artist. Cairo's publications include poems, plays, novellas, novels, and short stories. His writings focused on black identity, black consciousness, slavery in Suriname, and the wider Dutch colonial history in the Caribbean. His work also was influenced by, reflected, and emphasized African oral tradition.

Edgar Cairo

Cairo later studied and lived in The Netherlands, and this also impacted him as a black man navigating that space. He wrote in Dutch, as well as Sranantongo, the Surinamese creole. In 1969, he wrote the novella, Temekoe, his debut publication. Poetry collections include Loos (1989), and Het uur van de Wolf (1995). Edgar Cairo died on November 15, 2000, in The Netherlands.

Caribbean American Poetry Association (CAPA)

 The Caribbean American Poetry Association (CAPA), was founded in 2015 by Dr. Beryl R. Williams to promote Caribbean poets and their poetry in the United States. As Founder and President, Dr. Williams has worked tirelessly so that a wider audience can become acquainted with and enjoy Caribbean poetry.

Dr. Williams was born in Dominica and has a bachelor's degree in Mass Communication, a master's in Public Administration, and a PhD in Management and Organizational Leadership. Her work has been published in several anthologies. She is also the author of two poetry collections, A Pebble in My Shoe, and Zandoli.

CAPA is a nonprofit 501(c)(3). If you are a Caribbean poet and would like to join CAPA or support its mission, please email CAPA at caribbeanamericanpoetry@gmail.com. You can also follow CAPA on Instagram at: @capapoetrystory. CAPA's mailing address is:

CAPA

P.O. Box 326, Huntington Station, NY 11746

Juneteenth and Caribbean American Heritage Month Celebrations

 It was an honor to be a featured poet, alongside Keisha-Gaye Anderson and Lindamichelle Baron on Juneteenth 2025. The event was also held as a part of the Caribbean American Poetry Assocation (CAPA) celebration of Caribbean American Heritage Month at the beautiful Joseph Lloyd Manor House in Long Island, NY. 

Tribute was paid to Jupiter Hammon, the first African American published poet in the United States. Hammon and his ancestors were enslaved at Lloyd Manor House. 

Thanks again to Andrew Tharler of Preservation Long Island for the kind hospitality, to Dr. Beryl Williams of CAPA for inviting me, and to the Huntington Arts Council, and Poets and Writers for funding the event.