J. A George Irish is Professor of Caribbean and Latin American Studies in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies at Medgar Evers College, The City University of New York, where he teaches Caribbean literature, Caribbean History, Caribbean Music and African Diaspora/Migration in the Americas. As Head of the Department of Spanish at UWI Mona in the late seventies, Dr Irish initiated the Master's degree in Spanish and the Annual Spanish Caribbean Literary Conference. He later headed the Caribbean Research Center in New York and developed the program for a degree in Caribbean and Latin American Studies at Medgar Evers College, CUNY. He is the President/CEO of Caribbean Diaspora Press Inc which publishes academic and creative writing for established and emerging scholars and writers, and Editor-in-Chief of the international publication, WADABAGEI - A Journal of the Caribbean and its Diasporas.

As Resident Tutor in Montserrat in the early seventies, he founded the Emerald Community Singers, Montserrat Theatre Group, Alliouagana Arts Festival, Alliouagana Publications, and Alliouagana Commune to promote historical and cultural research, publications and theatrical representations of local traditions. He is the author/editor of 25 books and was awarded the Nicolas Guillen Medallion for scholarly work in Caribbean and Latin American literature. Professor Irish will be adding a Spanish Caribbean flavour to the festival by reading some of his translations of poetry by Nicolas Guillen. He will also make a brief presentation on the dramatic traditions in Montserrat covering the work of Major Vincent E. Browne (Brongo), David Edgecombe, Edgar Nkosi White and Yvonne Weekes.