KRALENDIJK - Five authors of the book Van Slavernij naar Vrijheid met each other on King’s Day, 27 April, in Nikiboko on Bonaire. Each of them contributed a story or poem to the bilingual anthology, published to celebrate 160 years since the abolition of slavery.
The book was published by LM Publishers in collaboration with Beyond Kultura Events Foundation (BKEF) and appeared in Dutch (Van Slavernij naar Vrijheid) and English (From Slavery to Freedom). The anthology contains stories and poems by authors from the Netherlands, Suriname, the BES islands, Sint Maarten, Aruba and Curacao.
Unique collaboration
For the first time, a selected group of well-known authors from the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Suriname joined forces to write a short essay or poem about the theme of slavery from a position of freedom and independence. The selection consisted of writers who had previously published on this subject.
The stories cover different periods and themes from the history of slavery, from capture and transportation (the Atlantic triangular trade) to life on plantations and the attainment of freedom. The book is intended for readers aged fifteen and above.
Meeting on Bonaire
On Bonaire, the authors Monica Clarinda, Barbara van der Woude, Loekie Morales, Xiomara Frans Muller and Delno Tromp met in the Nikiboko neighbourhood. They reflected on their writing process and discussed which stories from the anthology had stayed with them the most.
Monica Clarinda explains that for her contribution Nona’s tijdreis she conducted historical research at FUHIKUBO and drew on old documents and history books about the period in which the West India Company used Curacao as an open slave trade market. On that basis, she combined historical facts with elements of fantasy and science fiction.
Barbara van der Woude describes her writing process as a journey in which she immersed herself in the lives of two twelve-year-olds in the sixteenth century. In doing so, she kept in mind Roald Dahl’s advice not to underestimate children’s resilience.
Loekie Morales drew inspiration for her story An Act of Trust from historical research at the Heritage Foundation, and walked a possible escape route together with an archaeologist in order to experience her story as authentically as possible.
Xiomara Frans Muller chose poetry to say a lot with few words and considers the variety in the anthology, with all noses pointing in the same direction, its greatest strength.
Delno Tromp says he feels honoured that his two poems about freedom are part of the anthology, which he describes as a valuable addition to the literary canon.
Distribution and support
The anthology was made possible with support from, among others, the former Prince Bernhard Culture Fund Caribbean, the Mondriaan Foundation and the Dutch Foundation for Literature. The final financial contribution came from the Windward Island Bank and the Central Bank of Curacao and Sint Maarten, to cover shipping and distribution costs.
The books have now largely been distributed to schools and libraries on the Windward Islands and Curacao.
