Local News

The Sacred Maya Smoking Shell written by Belizean author, Manuel M. Novelo is now available in Belize. The novel unfolds in the once prosperous city of Lamania, located in what is today the Orange Walk District. It was first published in the United States where its author Manuel Novelo completed the historical fiction.

MAUEL NOVELO, Reporter
“It is based on true historical facts.  The Mayan Cities I talk about in my novels are real cities.  Cities like Lamanai, Altun Hall in present Orange Walk Orange Walk, Chac’temal which is in Corozal in Santa Rita.  It’s placed on 650 A.D. and Lamanai particularly, Lamanai and also Altun Ha.  Bosh Balam, Bosh is one of the main characters in my book.  He is a young boy who is fourteen years of age which is the age which ceremoniously marks him to be a man in ancient times in the ancient Maya civilization.”

DALILA ICAL, Reporter

 “How long did it take you to come up with this novel?”

MAUEL NOVELO, Reporter

“To write this book took me something like, say like, a year and a half, a little bit more but it’s not writing every day.  Write a little bit, then write a little bit then rest for a week and so on.”

DALILA ICAL, Reporter
“Will we be seeing any more work? Do you plan to write more?”

MAUEL NOVELO, Reporter

“Certainly Dalila.  This question you ask me is very important to me because I never thought about it, I never thought about writing another book about Bosh Balam or a sequel to The Secret Maya Smoking Shell but I have been getting reviews from people internationally, from people- I even got one from England saying that they love the book very much and that they love Bosh Balam, if I would please write another sequel to it, continue Bosh Balam’s story because I end it interestingly I end it with a little bit of suspense, I purposely did that.  To answer your question I probably will.”

A descendant of the Yucatec Maya, Novelo has a passion for Maya history. He is a tour guide in Belize whose expertise in fact is in ancient Maya archeology tours, natural history of the region and spelunking.  This is not Novelo’s first novel but it is the first to have been published. If anyone is interested in purchasing the book they can contact Novelo at 634-7517 or e-mail him at belizemayatours@yahoo.com. The book has a price tag of twenty five dollars and is also available online and in the US.  Dalila Ical for Love News.