By now, you're probably saying, did anything other than politics in Belmopan happen today in Belize? Well, yes...a new anthology of short stories written by Belizean women was launched this morning at the House of Culture. "Memories, Dreams, and Nightmares" is volume 2 of the Belizean Women's Writers Series, which is published by Cubola Productions. It is a collection of 14 stories by an eclectic mix of Belize female writers ranging from the world famous zee Edgell to former first lady Kathy Esquivel and Amandala columnist Arifah Ligthburn. The publisher Montserrat Casalemont says these are stories from a woman's perspective which need to be told.
Montserrat Casalemont, Publisher
"They are very powerful stories. They talk about crime, fidelity, and abortion. There are a lot of social issues which I think should come out in the open. This is not a world of only women so men are everywhere in the stories but its from a women's perspective. The stories need to be told and by telling the stories we give people the opportunity to discuss the issues."
Keith Swift,
Memories, Dreams, and Nightmares. Where does your story fit in?
Arifah Lightburn, Writer
"I say my story would fall between memory and nightmare. My story is called 'A tiny roach,' and its really a story that deals with motherhood which is a critical issue for all women; women are faced with that issue at some point in their lives. At first glance the story seems to be about abortion but its not really. Its about motherhood because I believe that abortion is really just the negation of motherhood, the choice not be a mother. Having my work published is exciting but to be published with a writer I deeply respect like Zee Edgell, in school I studied her books, so to be in an anthology with her is just very exciting."
The book is now available at bookstores and other outlets. The first volume of women's short stories was released last year.
7NEWS produced for broadcast by News Director Jules Vasquez
Edited and Prepared for the internet by Keith Swift
