LATEST BELIZEAN PUBLICATIONS INTRODUCED

September 06, 2007

The Belize National Library Service and Information System today released two books. 

Arturo Cantun reports. Arturo Cantun,Love FM:

“The first poems written by Belizeans may have been written decades ago, and perhaps getting all of them in a collection will take a lifetime.  But what the National Library Service has done is make this a bit easier as this morning a compilation of over hundred poems dating as far as 1920, were released in the book Treasures of a Century. Joseph Belisle is chairman of the committee that was responsible in making this compilation a reality.”      

Joseph Belisle,Committee Chairman:

“The poems range from the 1920s through to 2000.In our view,we have put together the efforts of quite a number of Belizean writers of poetry.The main attraction is that we have a collection of 131 poems.” 

Arturo Cantun,Love FM:

“Is this the first time these poems are being published?” 

Joseph Belisle,Committee Chairman:

“As far as we know,poems have been published from time to time.The point that makes this perhaps most interesting,is that for the first time,together,poems starting from the 1920s and these poems come from a variety of sources.We got in touch with personal collections,those we found in the library and high schools and so on and it took us quite a while to get them together." 

Arturo Cantun,Love FM:

“The poems from then may have presented similar themes in the poems written today, this is why the committee, according to Belisle, the collection is divided into different parts.” 

Joseph Belisle,Committee Chairman:

“What we did,rather than put the poems in a particular time that they were written,we decided to put them together under themes.This is one way which we think we can get out readers to get a feel of what it’s like to be writing at a particular time in history and expressing perhaps the same basic human emotional feelings as somebody later on.But under different circumstances,these themes are ranging from frustration,empathy,cultural themes,themes of adulation,patriotism,prognostication,dealing with reality,and all those are themes that we feel Belizeans have been grappling with over the years and perhaps even now.” 

Arturo Cantun,Love FM:

“The collection of poems was not the only book released today,as well known librarian Lawrence Vernon, principal librarian of the Belize National Library Service,also released his work of some four decades to all Belizeans.His work deals more with the cultural side of our society in the book, Culture Groups of Belize.”  

Lawrence Vernon,Principal Librarian of the Belize National Library Service:

“It covers basically the four principle ethnic cultural groups which are really the Maya,Mestizo,Garifuna and Creole and the three subgroups,the Mennonite,the Chinese and the East Indians.In those days they use to call the Garifuna the Black Caribs and that has changed.Some of their attitudes have changed,some of their customs might have become more modernized,some of the dress have become more modernized,the food they eat might have changed or might have become more westernized or something like that.” 

Arturo Cantun,Love FM:

“Vernon says he first started researching for his book in the 19-60s when he worked at the library.  He saw the need for proper research on the culture groups since many students demanded the information.At that point copies were only made for the libraries to be used by the students that visited.” 

Lawrence Vernon,Principal Librarian of the Belize National Library Service:

“I didn’t make it really a scholarly work because I wanted the level to be for students in fifth and sixth standard and maybe the earlier levels of highschool and of course to the visitors to Belize who are curious about about our cultural groups.” 

Arturo Cantun,Love FM:

“Both books are on sale at the Belize National Library Service on Princess Margaret Drive in Belize City.Reporting for Love FM News,I am Arturo Cantun.”

|

|