Trinidadian -Canadian eyes major literary prize but don't ignore Antonia Michael Downing's Hip Hip other
Antonia's Black Cherokee is a finalist for the Amazon Canada First Novel Award, By Stephen Weir The Trinidadian Canadian from New Grant is a rising but elusive Canadian star. Known as Antonio Michael Downing and John Orpheus, he moves between roles as performer and interviewer. On stage, often dressed in black, he performs with two backing vocalists as John Orpheus and The Funk Daddies (and sometimes Afro Beats), while on radio he appears as an interviewer on CBC Radio One’s The Next Chapter , a Canadian literary program. He is also a budding author under the Antonio Michael Downing name. His novel Black Cherokee has recently placed him in the national spotlight, as he has been named a finalist for the Amazon Canada First Novel Award, in the running for the $60,000 top prize. Making the shortlist is a significant achievement in Canadian literature. Amazon Canada and The Walrus magazine recently unveiled the nominees for the 49th annua...