SINT MAARTEN/BONAIRE - On King's Day, April 27, five authors of the book ‘From Slavery to Freedom’ met in Nikiboko, Bonaire. They each proudly contributed a story or poem for publication in this unique book.
The book was published by LM Publishers, in collaboration with Beyond Kultura Events Foundation (BKEF), and has been released in two languages, Dutch and English, ‘Van Slavernij naar Vrijheid’ and ’From Slavery to Freedom’, to celebrate 160 years of the abolition of slavery.
The book contains poignant stories and poems from the shared history of slavery by authors from the Netherlands, Suriname, the BES islands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, Saba), Sint Maarten, Aruba, and Curaçao who share an affinity with the theme.
For the first time, a select number of well-known authors from the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Suriname joined forces to write a short essay or poem on the theme of slavery, from the perspective of freedom and independence. The selection focused on writers who have previously published on this subject.
The stories cover various themes and periods in the history of slavery, from the capture of the enslaved, the shipment (the Atlantic Triangular Trade), and the auctioning of slaves, through to life on the plantations and the attainment of their freedom. The book is written for ages 15 and older.
The participating authors are Lydia Rood (Netherlands), Cynthia McLeod (Suriname), Ismene Krisnadath (Suriname), Barbara van der Woude (Sint Maarten), Jeroen Hoogerwerf (Netherlands), Monica Clarinda (Bonaire), Joyce Pool (Netherlands), Marianne Tefft (Sint Maarten), Walter Hellebrand (Sint Eustatius), Loekie Morales (Sint Maarten), Delno Tromp (Bonaire), Robert Reeberg (Aruba), Xiomara Muller (Bonaire), Hilli Arduin (Suriname), Liberta Rosario (Curaçao) and Henna Goudzand (Suriname).
On Bonaire, authors Monica Clarinda, Barbara van der Woude, Loekie Morales, Xiomara Frans Muller, and Delno Tromp met in a cozy atmosphere at Nikiboko. They looked back on their writing process.
How did they approach and experience the stories in this book, and what stuck with them from a story by another author in the book? What did they like best after reading the entire collection?
Monica Clarinda: For my contribution to the book "From Slavery to Freedom," written in collaboration with 17 other authors from the Ex-Antilles, Suriname, and the Netherlands, I developed the story ‘Nona’s Time Travel.’ For this story, I conducted historical research at FUHIKUBO, where I used old documents and history books regarding the period when the Dutch West India Company used Curaçao as an open market for the slave trade.
Based on this factual information, I created a story that combines historical events with elements of fantasy and science fiction, making it accessible and appealing to young readers. In doing so, I carefully respected historical facts and dates. What makes this project extra special to me is that every author has articulated the period of slavery in their own unique way and brought it to life.
It was a great honor for me to be part of an anthology with my story featuring highly regarded authors from the Caribbean, Suriname, and the Netherlands. Barbara van der Wouwde: My writing process felt like a journey in which I empathized with two twelve-year-olds in the 16th century who bore no guilt for slavery but lived within it.
Throughout this, I kept in mind Roald Dahl’s advice never to underestimate children’s resilience. What stayed with me the most was the strong grandmother from the story of Loekie Morales, who inspired her grandson to flee to the French side of Saint Martin for a free life. Every time I passed the Wall of Slaves in Bellevue during a walk, I thought of her.
Loekie Morales: In my story ‘An Act of Trust’, I mentally transported myself entirely to the period around 1850. At that time, on the French side—Saint Martin—the abolition of slavery was already a fact, while on the Dutch side—Sint Maarten—it was not yet. I drew inspiration from historical research at the Heritage Foundation and the talisman I needed for the writing process: a beautiful piece of salt that I had trapped in a metal chain.
Additionally, I walked the imagined escape route with archaeologist Christophe Hannock to fully grasp my story about the escape of the two slaves. Every story and poem is a gem in this collection. The idea of the inverted world in Cyntia McLeod’s story ‘Soldaat Jan en Maron Kwame 1771’ has stayed with me.
Xiomara Frans Muller: I immediately thought of a poem, because I wanted to convey a lot as quickly as possible and with few words. The time machine in Nona's story, written by Monica M. C. Clarinda, stuck with me because words like time machine and experiments force you to use your imagination, and I find that enjoyable/unique. The best part is that there is a lot of variation, yet still: 'all noses pointing in the same direction!'
Delno Tromp: Delno reports that he feels honored that his two poems about freedom are also part of this unique collection of stories, which he considers a valuable addition to our literature.
BKEF thanks sponsors such as the former Prince Bernhard Culture Fund Caribbean, the Mondriaan Foundation, and the Letterenfonds, who contributed the lion's share financially.
The final support was provided by the Windward Island Bank and the Central Bank for Curaçao and Sint Maarten, to help cover shipment and distribution costs. Both LM Publishers and BKEF also contributed financially to make this collection of poems and stories possible about our history of slavery valuable to the entire Kingdom and Suriname.
The books have now been largely distributed to schools and libraries in the Leeward and Curaçao islands.
