Traditions, taboos, belief and superstition. Writers from the Antilles and Surinam

Belief and superstition can defuse fear but also arouse it: what if you don't keep to the accompanying customs? With Sonia Garmers, Usha Marhé, Ruth San A Jong, Noraly Beyer (interviewer). In Dutch.

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Information

Date and time Saturday 19 January 2008 23:05 tot 23:55 uur
Location Theater aan het Spui - kleine zaal

A man dies. His lover puts a set of used underpants of her in his coffin. That's the custom in Surinam. But how do you do it without arousing the suspicion of his wife? And is this the only pair of underpants? Budding talent Ruth San A Jong wrote stories from Paramaribo like the one about the underpants above. Grande dame Sonia Garmers from Curaçao and Usha Marhé, who lives in the Netherlands, have written about rituals, magic and traditions which are part of daily life in their country. Belief and superstition can defuse fear but also arouse it: what if you don't keep to the accompanying customs? What if you want to break though tradition. The writers, varying in age, discuss this and other questions and read from their work. Noraly Beyer leads the conversation. In Dutch.

Line-up

Sonia Garmers

(Curaçao, 1933) wrote her first children's stories in Papiamentu, Conta Cuenta. In addition to very popular cookery books she also wrote Un makutu yen di cuenta (A Basket Full of Stories). And together with Nydia Ecury and Mila Palm she published the collection of poetry Tres Rosea (Three Laments). Her two booklets (together with Hanny Lim) about Brua (black magic) was and is in great demand. She has also worked as a politicial reporter. In 1976 she published (in Dutch) Lieve Koningin, hierbij stuur ik u mijn dochter (Dear Queen, Hereby I Am Sending You My Daughter). It was a great success both in the Netherlands and on the Antilles. After that the children's book Orkaan (Hurricane) appeared in 1977. At the close of the 1970s she lived in Holland, and wrote short spoken columns for the NCRV-radio programme Rozengeur en Prikkeldraad. In 1980 her next children's book Orkaan en Mayra appeared in 1980, which won her the 1981 Nienke van Hichtum-prize of the Jan Campertstichting in the Hague. In May 1983 Sonia Garmers received the Cola Debrot prize, the highest literary award of the island area of Curaçao. In the collection of short storied Ieder diertje z’n pleziertje (To Every Animal Its Fun) a number of themes from Sonia Garmers' very first children's stories can be found. Wonen in een glimlach (Living in a Smile) was written in 1985.
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Usha Marhé

(1964, Surinam) is an author, journalist and teacher. In 2007 Marhé's fiction debut appeared: Dulari-De Weg van Mijn Naam, consisting of six stories with changing perspectives. In the same year her first short story Dilemmas was published in the anthology Waarover We Niet Moeten Praten. With her first non-fiction book Tapu Sjén/Bedek Je Schande - Surinamers en Incest (1996) she broke a taboo by talking about her own experiences with incest. The book was well-received by critics and considered courageous. In Surinam the topic can now be discussed owing to the book. As a journalist Marhé wrote articles and columns for among others Opzij, de Groene Amsterdammer and Vrij Nederland. In addition she has been giving talks and presentations since 1994 on different social subjects. Marhé has lived in the Netherlands since 1990.
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Noraly Beyer

(Curacao, 1946), born to Surinamese parents, was an editor/newsreader on Dutch TV (1985-2009) and the Dutch World Service (1983-2008). She had roles in theatre productions such as Ajax, Hemel boven Berlijn (Sky Above Berlin), Medea, The Vagina Monologues and De Afscheidsmonologen (The Farewell Monologues) as well as writing plays herself. In addition, she regularly hosts debates and writes columns. In 2009 she received the Cosmic Award for her advocacy for more diversity in Dutch media. A memoir of her youth in Curaçao, De Antillen en ik (The Antilles and Me), was chronicled by John Leerdam. In 2018 she played the role of storyteller in The Passion.
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Ruth San A Jong

(Surinam, 1970) won the Third Literature prize of the Kwakoe Festival 2002 with her story ‘The Last Parade’. San A Jong wrote non-fiction for her work for various NGO’s but the Kwakoe prize stimulated her to occupy herself with writing fiction. She is presently working on a collection of short stories. The central theme is death and the way in which people deal with death in Surinam, with all the traditions, beliefs and superstition and the bizar rituals that go with it. Together with storyteller Guillaume Pool she started the Bukutori foundation, which aims at promoting the art of reading, writing and storytelling in Surinam. Since 2008 she is the director of the Schrijversvakschool (School of Writing).
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