Wycliffe Smith
(Saba, 1948) is a teacher, poet, musician and one of the connoisseurs of the literature of the Windward Islands, on which he wrote several books and articles. He debuted in 1976 with the poetry book A Voice from Windward. In his poetic work Smith describes the beauty of the Windward Islands, but also criticizes political and social wrongs. In addition, he deals with universal themes like death and fear. Smith, who studied in the Netherlands in the 1970s to become a teacher, likes to perform in front of an audience, ranging from school children to students. He likes to talk about his passion for Windward literature as well as recite his own poetry. His lectures are peppered with text fragments which he not only recites but sings as well, accompanying himself on the guitar. In the nineties he was administrator (Gezaghebber) of the island of Saba for some years.
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Archive available for: Wycliffe Smith
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How to Bluff Your Way into Saba, Statia and Bonaire
With: Bòi Antoin, Gilbert Wawoe, Paulette Smit, Ruben Severina, Sams, Wycliffe Smith
A crash course in the new Dutch municipalities! A few months still to go and our country obtains three Caribbean islands: Saba, St Eustatius and Bonaire. Be prepared and be informed on the language, literature and history of these tropical islands, by the writers and musicians who have been flown in especially for Winternachten.
The highest point in the Netherlands will no longer be in Limburg, but on Saba. Dutch nature conservationists will have to worry about coral reefs. But language and culture will also change. Will Papiamentu and Antillean English qualify for the same status as Frisian? That remains to be seen. In any case it can do no harm when the Dutch citizens learn a few words of Papiamentu and Antillean English and get some basic knowledge about the history and culture of the new Dutch municipalities. That chance is given to the audience during this Winternachten programme.
A light-footed programme with a crash course in new languages in the Netherlands, an introduction to literature, the folktales and the history and an introduction to the musical traditions of the three islands. Writers and musicians from Saba, Statia and Bonaire will provide the audience with everything it has to know about language and culture of the new Netherlands.
Gilbert Wawoe (former member of the Council of State) was closely involved in the transition process of the three islands. He tells about the at times odd administrative and legal problems accompanying this unique political change. Can you apply Dutch law to (sub)tropical islands just like that? Wycliffe Smith, a writer from Saba, provides the audience with an image of the culture and history of Saba and Statia. Writer and journalist Bòi Antoin, sympathetic to the fate of the island he was born, Bonaire, tells tales about the history and culture of Bonaire. Musician Victor Sams (from Statia) performs with the base player Jeffrey Sams, and with the inseparable steelpan duo Cornel Brown and Leroy James, all from Statia. The programme is in Dutch, and is hosted by actress Paulette Smit and Ruben Severina.
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Wintercafé 4: Dutch Corals
At the end of the evening, before you go to sleep, it is good and comforting to hear stories. Two authors - Wycliffe Smith and Bòi Antoin - from two new municipalities of The Netherlands, the Carribean islands of Bonaire and Saba, will tell you their stories. Host: Sanna Andréa-Dia. In Dutch.
