Mangoes and jelly coconut, garter snakes and speckled frogs. These are some of the many vivid memories of a Caribbean childhood from poets such as Valerie Bloom, Faustin Charles, Telcine Turner and Dionne Brand.

"Vivid, buzzing with energy and great rhymes." Guardian "Steeped in sunlight ... a magical collection." Daily Telegraph "Fire in the treetops, / Fire in the sky. / Blossoms red as sunset / Dazzling to the eye..." Full of the amazing sights, sounds, smells and rhythms of Trinidad, Guyana, Jamaica, Barbados and the Bahamas, this cornerstone anthology vividly evokes the childhood memories of thirteen poets (a Caribbean dozen!). With over fifty poems, an autobiography of each poet, bibliographies, sumptuous illustrations and an easy-reference index, A Caribbean Dozen is a collection to be savoured for years to come.The Caribbean Dozen - Valerie Bloom, Faustin Charles, Telcine Turner, David Campbell, Opal Palmer Adisa, Marc Matthews, Dionne Brand, Pamela Mordecai, John Lyons, Frank Collymore, James Berry, Grace Nichols and John Agard.

Thirteen Caribbean poets recount childhood experiences in poetry and prose.