Literary traditions not only offer us ways to highlight landmark works of literature within a particular period, geographic place, and/or culture but also allow us to engage works within their larger contexts. To date, no comprehensive and open digital resource has attempted to map the genealogical topographies of the Caribbean literary tradition. Originally rooted in a longstanding project to track the African literary tradition, the project utilizes an open digital platform in order to facilitate broad scholarly and pedagogical engagement with African and Caribbean literary histories. The most recent version of the project identifies and tracks pivotal African, Caribbean, and African-American works of literature (with plans to add Afro-Brazilian literature in the near future) starting in the 1700s and ending in the 1990s.

The beta site will be up beginning Spring 2019 and will allow visitors to view works by geographic region and in connection with works from across the African diaspora. We envision the site as a tool for both research and teaching; the platform will be a living document that encourages visitors to suggest and request additions. Most importantly, this work seeks to begin a conversation with fellow Caribbean Digital participants in order to introduce the beta site and discuss how this project might be most effective and useful for scholars and students interested in engaging with Caribbean literary history.

Suggestions for additions to the digital map and timeline can be sent here.