Has anybody wondered recently how it is that Barbados, which boasts 98 per cent literacy, has to date produced only three internationally known writers: George Lamming, Kamau Brathwaite and Austin Clarke? Where are our present writers?
A recent outcry has been that Barbadians are fast acquiring a “fete mentality”. But perhaps we should not be surprised since it appears that at all levels in Barbados, “culture” has come to be associated almost solely with music and related forms of entertainment.
It is noteworthy that in his book, Sovereignty Of The Imagination: Conversations 111, Lamming refers to the words of the late Norman Manley, former Prime Minister of Jamaica: “Caribbean people must believe in themselves and their own destiny, and must do so with . . . determination to win equality with the rest of mankind, an equality in terms of humanity which, irrespective of power and wealth, can be measured by the growing values of civilisation and culture.”
How are we, Barbadians, developing our “civilisation and culture”? What about the intellectual/literary component of this nation? Should we not be nurturing a legacy of writing in Barbados which will gain us far greater respect and credibility than our feting skills ever could?
One may ask: why write? American novelist Richard Wright is passionate in his response to this question: “I would hurl words into the darkness and wait for an echo, and if an echo sounded, no matter how faintly, I would send other words to tell, to march, to fight, to create a sense of the hunger for life that gnaws in us all.” (American Hunger, 1977.)
And indeed, what else lies at the heart of poetry and fiction but that same hunger for self-expression and the need to connect with others by way of feelings, ideas and experiences. Isn’t it the poet who “turns the world into glass”, reflecting us back to ourselves, no matter how pleasing or otherwise the images may be?
And certainly, the novelist is able to ignite our imagination, broaden our knowledge and inspire us with new ideas. It is not possible to reach the last page of a good book without being changed in some fashion.
We, Barbadians, must be serious about nurturing our writers. It is true that there is an annual NIFCA literary arts competition. The Frank Collymore Literary Endowment, as well, plays a key role in the promotion of writing. But we must be careful of too insular an approach.
The Government has just invested heavily in the Rihanna show. From all reports, this production was of world-class standard, its quality no doubt aided by exposure to levels of knowledge and expertise beyond our local capacities.
By the same token, I believe that what would benefit our local writers significantly is a cross-fertilisation of ideas. This is not to suggest that we do not at present have good writers in Barbados. In fact, some writers here are already enjoying a growing reputation abroad.
But there needs to be a significant literary event in Barbados that will challenge us to produce our best writing. We must be given the opportunity to listen to the works of our best regional and international writers. We must be able to attend their readings, panel discussions and workshops, and gain insight into their various styles and ideas.
We must be able to share with them a quality of writing on our part that will win a mutual admiration and respect.
Government has recently approved a budget allocation of $50 million for cultural and artistic endeavours. From earlier in the year, Writers Ink, a group of local writers, has had the passion and foresight to begin organising the Bim Literary Festival And Book Fair for May, 2012. Several of our literary giants have already indicated an interest in participating.
Ninety-eight per cent literacy? A standard of education among the highest in the world? May the Government put its money where its mouth is, and the corporate world assist in this worthwhile venture!
Managed properly, this event could attract visitors to our shores, as was the case with Calabash, in Jamaica.
Among the factors that make a nation great is its literature, and it is well within our capacity to produce the calibre of writers of whom we can be proud. But there must be the breadth of vision that encourages this to be so. Let us look to it, with haste!
Esther Phillips is head of the Division of Liberal Arts of the Barbados Community College. She is also a poet and editor of BIM: Arts For The 21st Century. Email [email protected]
