Creative Leaps

1. Q: You are one of the most creative West Indians I have ever met. Do you seen any childhood links that may have attributed to your prolific expression? A: Thank you very much. My first reaction is to cower from such high praise, especially coming from you. The truth is however, that I love thinking of myself as Caribbean (West Indian) creative artist. Here, the word Caribbean is important because I believe that Caribbean aesthetics already has within it the dynamism so many centuries of forging a fine 'mettle' from the cultural realities of different races, cultures, peoples, in a small space. So from a young age, like most Caribbean youths, I was exposed to various forms of creative expression - up close and personal. Dance in primary school. Drawing. Singing in the choir. I've always been interested in the creative arts and fortunately my interest was never 'satisfactorily' discouraged. My father was a preacher who played guitar and sang sometimes, while my m...

(Click on link to see Maureen's interview with Allison on TIC Channel 4 in Trinidad) Q: One T&T reviewer, Debbie Jacob, likens your work to the magical realism of Wilson Harris, who is also Guyanese. Have you read him and has he influenced your style? A: In my early youth I read a couple of Wilson Harris' books and loved them, and later devoured Gabriel Garcia Marquez's. I am not conscious of any direct influence of their styles on my writing, but these are authors whose works appealed to me. I must re-read Harris! Q: What's the 'read for pleasure' culture like these days in Guyana? A: It’s an uphill battle to get young coastal Guyanese to read books. Only books that have become popular movies stir our youth’s interest. In fact one question I got quite a few times on my visits to schools was, ‘When is the movie coming out?’ People in the hinterland, on the other hand, don’t have the same ease of access to the latest DVDs, television programming, computer a...

Guitarman, Bookman, Familyman...Gerald Hausman, Island Fiction author of Time Swimmer has written over 70 published books, thirty-something of which have received literary prizes and awards. Meet the MAN himself in this 7min piece - View, Rate, Share on YOU TUBE, then read Time Swimmer and pass it on!

"Alex came to me in a dream..." says author of Legend of the Swan Children, Maureen Marks Mendonca about her main character, on Trinidad's CH 4 with Allison Hennessey.

Below are comments from trainees of the Adolescent Development Programme, ADP (Apr. – Jul. 09) attached to the Chaguanas Regional/Hi-Tech. Centre, Servol -Mtima Abdul Ghany (tutor) (SPOILER ALERT- the statements that follow reveal vital story-ending plot info.) Escape from Silk Cotton Forest by Francis Escayg “The book was a very amazing and interesting book; I would recommend everybody read it. The best part of the book was the ending when the sunshine from the sun hit his necklace and then hit Rhe, raising her from the dead.” Joshua Santana “The book was very interesting. I would advise anyone to read it. I am looking forward to reading the rest in the series.” Yannick Cherrie “This was the only book I have read in my life and it was the best. The book was very interesting; it dealt with war, freedom and the best of all, love and friendship. The best piece of the book was in the last chapter when the sun hit the diamond around Domino’s neck and it made Rhe come back to life and they...

Island Fiction titles make Trinidad Guardian's Debbie Jacob's Top Ten fiction list for readers aged 9 to 14 starting from the number 6 spot and pushing the list to 11! Here's a peek - click on title link for full article. 6. The Island Fiction Series—It’s difficult to single out one book from this series that includes The Chalice Project, Legend of the Swan Children, Escape from Silk Cotton Forest, Time Swimmer, Night of the Indigo, and Delroy in the Marog Kingdom. Each book reflects the Caribbean setting that Trinidadian children need to see in their stories.