M.J. Fievre’s love for writing began as a young girl in Haiti.
When she was 13, she started working on her first book, Le Feu de la Vengeance (The Fire of Revenge), which tells the story of a girl who can communicate with the dead and avenge them.
Since then she has also written children’s books, a memoir, a poetry collection and nonfiction books for Black teens.
And one of her books will make an appearance at the 10th annual Little Haiti Book Festival.
The festival will take place Sunday, May 5, at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, with an online version later in the month. Fievre’s book will be featured at 3 p.m. in the Children’s Alley and will be read by City of Miami District 5 Commissioner Christine King.
“I’m really honored,” said Fievre, who moved to Miami in 2002 at the age of 21.
Her book, The Ocean Lives There, tells the story of a little girl whose parents are first-generation Haitian Americans. Though she has never traveled there, she is fascinated by the culture and wants to know more about Haiti.
“It's about this longing that so many people have for a homeland that they've never visited, or that they visited a couple of times and long for,” said Fievre, the Little Haiti Book Festival coordinator. “Many of us carry another home in our hearts.”
The festival’s theme this year is “Ansanm nou se Ti Ayiti" (Together we are Little Haiti).
"We realized that everything that's happening…requires us to work together. The festival is a reflection of that," Fievre added.
And although Haiti is in the midst of political turmoil and widespread violence, she says the festival provides an opportunity for people to remember what it means to be Haitian.
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“We hear a lot about what's going on back home in terms of the violence, and the pain, and the fear, but we don't hear enough about the other side of the coin — and how much beauty and delight there is in being Haitian and in growing up in Haiti,” Fievre added.
Among the featured activities are storytelling sessions, live music, arts and crafts, Haitian folk dance performances, and book distributions as well as poetry, meditation and yoga workshops. For kids, there will be activities around dinosaurs, robotics and construction.
There will also be panels discussing the impact of artificial intelligence in the arts and the media's role in shaping Haiti's narrative.
"It's all about showing love for Haiti,” Fievre said. “So it's really exciting, not just for people who have ties to Haiti, but people who love Haiti from a distance and want to learn more about the country, about its people."
The Miami Book Fair holds the festival in partnership with Sosyete Koukouy, a Little Haiti-based company that works with Haitian culture, education and arts. The event is free and open to the community. An online version will take place on May 19 on the Miami Book Fair website.
IF YOU GO
Little Haiti Book Festival
WHEN: May 5
WHERE: Little Haiti Cultural Complex, 212 N.E. 59th Terrace, Miami.
For the full program visit https://www.miamibookfair.com/littlehaiti/.
