The Girl With the Golden Shoes “Estrella Roselyn Maria Eugenia Thompson, the heroine of the short, beautiful novella The Girl With the Golden Shoes, is one of those characters who steal your heart. It seems not exactly correct to call her a character, however. She feels too real, too genuine.” —The Washington Post Book World “The Girl with the Golden Shoes is a nearly perfect moral fable … Colin Channer is clearly in the business of helping to make great literature.” —Russell Banks, author of The Darling and Continental Drift “This is a jewel of a book. Channer’s language is dancing and juicy, his humor incisive, his vision penetrating, and his hero, nicknamed Pepper for her stinging retorts, is magnificent.” —Booklist (starred review) “Colin Channer continues to charm and surprise us. The Girl with the Golden Shoes takes us on a very moving and mesmerizing journey.” —Edwidge Danticat, author of The Dew Breaker and Breath, Eyes, Memory “Jamaican author Colin Channer has been called a ‘reggae writer’ and even the Bob Marley of Jamaican literature … He puts the reggae aesthetic to good use in the book, telling the very gritty story of a lone Caribbean girl forced to grow up quickly on a fictional island similar to colonial Jamaica. His fable-like writing has drawn comparisons to writers such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez.” —The Minneapolis Star-Tribune “Colin Channer has joined the few writers who've created an entirely new and mythical landscape, the island of San Carlos, full of Caribbean legend and pathos, featuring hilarity and a wonderful Estrella Thompson, who's not just looking for love but for respect and survival. Her journey is a memorable one.” —Susan Straight, author of A Million Nightingales “While the story takes place in 1942 … there’s something timeless about Estrella’s yearning for a better life.” —Kirkus Reviews “Estrella is what her name implies/means. She lights up the pages of this extraordinary novella as she negotiates her youth and the characters who populate her island. The culture of class. The culture of love. The culture of race. The culture of gender. All conspire to change her—and they do, and they do, somewhat; but she impacts them also as she continues her trek toward her own resurrection. And what a resurrection she is!” —Sonia Sanchez, author of Shake Loose My Skin “Estrella comes of age practically by the hour … Channer writes with an intriguing blend of English and Caribbean patois and uses simple language and crisp imagery …” —Publishers Weekly “A wonderful, deceptively simple island odyssey evoking the will to survive, overcome, and succeed. A haunting book.” —M.G. Vassanji, author of The Book of Secrets “Estrella is vividly drawn: She has the willfulness of Thackeray’s Becky Sharp, though without her edgy wickedness, and the innocence of a Balzac heroine, battered by the callous and casual malice of the world. But the similarities to the 19th century European novel end there—this is a spare, lyrical book.” —Washington City Paper “Colin Channer is a graceful, natural storyteller with a keen eye and sharp ear. He effortlessly evokes the sense of a place and a people in strong yet subtle strokes. And Estrella is a magnificent heroine, a woman for her time. This is a captivating tale.” —Diana Abu-Jaber, author of Crescent “It’s a parable of elemental humanity—the lust, pointed thievery and small acts of compassion that make us who we are.” —Chicago Reader “The Girl with the Golden Shoes is lyrical, moving, beautifully constructed, and morally complex. In this novella, Colin Channer continues to expand the possibility of the Caribbean narrative and push the limits of his own oeuvre.” —Chris Abani, author of Graceland “Channer has created an unforgettable character in Estrella.” —Library Journal “Estrella Thompson is robust, durable, and sparkling on Colin Channer's page—a girl trying to invent herself beyond her body and beyond the old animist world of her family; the new gods are no less treacherous but she invents herself in paper, in reading, in radio, in the modern. Channer's literary prose is muscular and fluid, surreal and fabulous.” —Dionne Brand, author of What We All Long For “The tale has a strong moral backbone as it weaves Estrella’s misfortunes into a short, but powerful, gripping plot.” —Historical Novels Review “Just start reading, and see if you can stop. Colin Channer's prose is that hypnotic, vibrant, beautiful, startling, more alive than life itself.” —Francisco Goldman, author of The Divine Husband “… Channer’s prose truly takes wings. He imbues each step with nods to Estrella’s fellow wanderers (Dorothy, Don Quixote, Dante) and packages each page with rich sensory details that put a gentle haze over each scene.” —Ink 19 Iron Balloons “The story comes at you with hurricane force and an irresistible title, How to Beat a Child the Right and Proper Way. It is the creation of the Jamaican writer Colin Channer, who is also the editor of Iron Balloons, an anthology of a new kind of Jamaican writing … The Right and Proper Way is a big breath of a piece, 54 pages long, and something of a tour de force…” —The New York Times “The pick of the collection is Channer’s own contribution. How to Beat a Child the Right and Proper Way is a hilariously digressive monologue delivered by a Jamaican woman to a class of mature students in the United States … At first she seems to be an interfering tyrant, but her moving tale unravels to show a sympathetic, contradictory person.” —The Times Literary Supplement (UK) “The ability to eloquently delineate a particular experience—Caribbean life—accounts in large part for the significance and success of Iron Balloons … For Channer the emphasis is always on culture and quality—Iron Balloons is living proof.” —The Toronto Star (Canada) “Editor and contributor Colin Channer brings together 11 short stories that were developed and/or polished in Jamaica’s Calabash Writer’s Workshop … The stories share a focus on lushly drawn, believably human characters, while their settings and moods are pleasingly diverse.” —The Boston Herald “ … How to Beat a Child the Right and Proper Way, [is] a brilliant story, taking the form of a speech by an expatriate Jamaican woman to her New York evening class …” —The Observer (UK) “As poignant as the tales is Colin Channer's introduction, in which he speaks of the history of the Calabash Writer's Workshop … Iron Balloons is a powerful collection of stories, which, diverse that they are, share a bountiful spirit. You will quickly get caught up in the rhythm of these compelling and inventive narratives …” —The Barcelona Review (Spain) “Channer’s short story—and 10 from other writers—is included in Iron Balloons … the anthology he edited … Channer’s imagery is so vivid that the brutal whipping depicted in the story can almost be heard. But Channer allows the beater—a mother straddling the working- and middle-class worlds who is disciplining her rebellious teen daughter to save her from certain destruction—to gain sympathy as she considers class, skin color, and social standing in post-colonial Jamaica.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer “Channer’s How to Beat a Child the Right and Proper Way is a mesmerizing tale told in a sparkling vernacular.” —Time Out Chicago “These stories spring to life on the page, each different from the other … an excellent addition to any library, personal collection, and course in Caribbean or Jamaican literature and culture.” —Multicultural Review Passing Through “Set on the fictional San Carlos, ‘an island fascinated by the subtleties of blood,’ this imaginative collection chronicles 100 years in the life of a community of interrelated characters … Channer is a gifted storyteller. He marshals the weighty themes of love, sex, race, class and progress into an epic and vibrant narrative.” —The Washington Post “Colin Channer is a wonderfully funny, piercing, crafty and compassionate writer, and Passing Through is a remarkable literary achievement. The stories bring with them the keen thrill of having discovered a truly fresh, original voice—Channer’s multiform vision of the Caribbean and the people who flow in and out of it is an exciting and even vital contribution to the world of the short story.” —Dan Chaon, author of You Remind Me of Me and Among the Missing “The work is a collection of linked stories that feel more sophisticated than anything else he has written, spanning the lives of men and women of various hues caught in the web of race over space and time … In Passing Through, and in all his work, Channer exhibits a remarkable ability to depict intimacy between black men and women.” —The Globe and Mail (Canada) “A splendid collection by one of the Caribbean Diaspora’s finest writers. These tales are masterful distillations that teem with humor, with passion, with hope. Channer’s compassion never fails to amaze.” —Junot Díaz, author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao and Drown “Jumping into Passing Through, the third book by Jamaican-American author Colin Channer, is akin to visiting a foreign country and sampling its exotic cuisine and unique culture. It is an experience that teaches, entertains, and affirms the universality of our collective human experience.” —The Virginia Pilot “In Passing Through, Channer’s silky prose is at its absolute finest; the stories are interwoven like a tapestry, a tapestry which scans across the panorama of Caribbean history to create an entirely new vocabulary of love, loss and discovery.” —Z.Z. Packer, author of Drinking Coffee Elsewhere “Spanning the early 1900s through contemporary times, Channer’s stories follow the lives of islanders, travelers, expats and others who cross paths amid the racial, political and social turmoil of an island haunted by the legacy of slavery. This is not the pretty, tranquil Caribbean of tourism posters. San Carlitos drink, curse, have sex, fight, cheat and love with a passion.” —The Plain Dealer “In Passing Through, every bit of promise that Channer gives us in his first three major works of fiction is realized and multiplied manifold. Passing Through reveals a writer at the top of his form; a writer, that is, who has managed to bring wit and empathy to his portrayal of characters that he clearly adores and understands. Passing Through is at the vanguard of new Caribbean fiction …” —Kwame Dawes, author of Bob Marley Lyrical Genius and Wisteria “Passing Through is the story of the Caribbean depicted in all its fertile splendour by a writer whose ambition has been to attempt in writing what the region’s musicians have accomplished with sound.” —The Caribbean Review of Books Satisfy My Soul “Carey McCullough, the young, complex playwright of biracial and interfaith parents, finally meets his intellectual, emotional, and passionate equal when he encounters Frances Carey … His struggles with spiritual convictions, love for this woman, rejection by his father, and haunting conflict with his friend leave him questioning himself and seeking peace of mind. After many weeks of seclusion and soul searching, Carey is finally satisfied—as is the reader.” —Booklist “Channer’s tale is wildly entertaining, erotic and sensual … a compelling exploration of the deeper meaning of love, the question of faith, and the long reach of history … The effects of Satisfy My Soul will linger long after you close the book.” —The Philadelphia Tribune “This wildly entertaining novel demonstrates Channer’s skills as a writer and storyteller, which have only gotten better since Waiting In Vain … Channer’s mastery of descriptive verse and strong voice are compelling.” —Black Issues Book Review “From the author of the Blackboard bestseller Waiting in Vain comes this long-awaited second novel, detailing a star-crossed, obsessively erotic odyssey of self-discovery …” —Publishers Weekly “This latest novel by Channer, whose Waiting in Vain was a Blackboard best seller, is a tug-of-war between lust and friendship, love and faith, and ancient African religion and Christianity.” —Library Journal “[Channer’s] voice is sexy and poetic, and he's wrestling with things that matter … Channer's spiritual interests, his yearnings for Africa and his sexual frankness place him in a unique position among American writers.” —Now (Canada) “A stunning novel of extraordinary power … highly recommended” —QBR Got to Be Real “Channer's I'm Still Waiting is a complex riff on the contemporary music scene set against a lush Jamaican backdrop.” —Publishers Weekly “Each author brings his unique style to the universal subject of love. Colin Channer takes us to Jamaica, where a music promoter struggles with his plans for the future. … These tales are both honest and well written …” —Booklist “Channer is back with his recently released novella, I’m Still Waiting, a sexy love story set mainly in Jamaica. It features a Chinese-Jamaican music producer who encounters his ex-wife for the first time in 20 years and realizes he’s still in love with her. The story forms a part of the book Got to Be Real …” —The New York Daily News “I'm Still Waiting provides a glimpse into the music world amidst the beautiful sites of Jamaica … Colin Channer illuminates the pitfalls of youthful talent in the absence of maturity, the consequences of love without direction, and the power of the past if we are afraid to confront it.” —Black Issues Book Review “When it comes to writing sexy, sensitive novels for today's hot African-American publishing market, it ain't nothing but a guy thang.” —Entertainment Weekly “The new crop of black male writers has a special appeal … their ability to weave hip-hop humor with suspense and romance.” —USA Today Waiting In Vain “The love story is interesting, but not the most compelling element of the novel: What is most intriguing is the assurance of the voice, the strength of characterization and the clear redefinition of the Caribbean novel—in which the discourses of post-colonialism have been usurped by the creative assurance of reggae’s aesthetic—a quintessentially modern aesthetic that has finally found the kind of dialogue between popular music and art that we have not seen in a long time.” —The Washington Post Book World “Channer’s prose is infused with serious Caribbean lilt—the patois is perfectly rendered—and heavy, heavy love vibes. Vain is what happens when a gifted writer decides to get romantic.” —Time Out New York “Waiting In Vain is a vividly sophisticated story of love and deep desire set in lush Jamaica, London’s gritty Brixton, and frenetic New York.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer “The hope and pain of loves lost and loves found are just some of the novel’s triumphs. This one just might become a bestseller.” —Booklist “First novelist Channer reveals his characters idiosyncrasies in poetic description. The dialogue, full of Jamaican slang, takes a little getting used to, but the culture and backdrop are so finely scripted that readers will feel they are in Jamaica.” —Library Journal “Fire and Sylvia pursue and retreat from each other in convincingly soul-searching scenarios while Channer vividly describes urban New York, industrial Brixton and rural Jamaica.” —Publishers Weekly “Channer is a writer endowed with a special gift of language; he possesses a painter’s eye … Like Jean Toomer, Channer knows how to tap the rhythm of the pastoral without becoming too somnolent; and unlike the traditional novels of the past, Waiting In Vain is a witty, contemporary book full of well-developed, believable characters.” —The Amsterdam News “Folks who’ve tired of those lame, designer-name-dropping novels will enjoy Colin Channer’s fiction debut Waiting In Vain.” —BET Weekend