The Mermaid of Black Conch

While fishing off the coast of the island of Black Conch in 1976, local Black fisherman David Baptiste meets an unexpected creature: a mermaid. Once a beautiful young woman, Aycayia was cursed by jealous wives to live in the sea. She is captured and tormented by greedy American tourists, but then rescued by David, who hides her away, where she slowly turns back into a woman. Aycayia, a member of the Indigenous Taíno people, struggles to relearn what it means to live on land. Will she be able to escape her curse, or will she choose to return to the sea? Roffey’s (Tryst) mythological tale, narrated by Ben Onwukue and Vivienne Acheampong, is full of adventure, intrigue, and love. It explores what it means to be human, how relationships affect us, and the importance of the choices we make. Both Onwukue and Acheampong channel the lyricism of Roffey’s words, with Onwukue’s deep, gravelly voice serving as the third-person narrator, and Acheampong giving voice to Aycayia’s thoughts and feelings.