Marily Peetvere

Term “West Indies” – 1950 , writers S.Selvon, J.Hearne, E.Mittelholzer, V.S. Naipaul and G. Lamming published the UK

1940s BBC radio programme Carribean Voices

Share a special concern with questions of identity, ethnicity, and language

Unique characteristic of Caribbean literature is the use of “dialect” forms of the national language, often termed creole.

Two West Indian writers have won the Nobel Prize for Literature: Derek Walcott and V.S.Naipaul 

Produced by a number of authors

Most of whom write in English

Guyanese-born writers have emigrated abroad

First book written on Guyana (by Sir W.Raleigh) - The Discoverie of the Large, Rich, and Beautiful Empyre of Guiana and of the Provinces of Emeria, Aromaia, Amapaia, and Other Countries, with Their Riulers, Adjoyning

Earliest and most famous author – Edgar Mittelholzer (book “Corentyne Thunder”)

Famous novelists – E.R. Braithwate (“To Sir, With Love”), Roy Heath (“Georgetown Triology”, “The Shadow Bride”), Wilson Harris (“Palace of the Peacock”)

Martin Carter – Guyana’s greatest poet

Michael Abbensetts – noted playwright

Vincent Roth wrote “A Life in Guyana”

closely intertwined with the political life of Haiti

Haitian literature has its origins in the country's independence.

In 1804, Fligneau's play The Haitian expatriate made its debut

newspapers like Le Républicain and later L'Union opened their pages to the first romantics

Theatrical production -rich and important, All genres were represented: prose drama,

tragedy, comedy

Opened with the creation of the magazine La Ronde by Petion Gerome

Social realism in literature was advanced by Jacques Roumain and Rene Depestre

In 1946, Andre Breton was appointed by the Director of Cultural Affairs in Paris to establish relations with Haitian intellectuals.

Creole and French

Creole is used frequently in poetry and drama

The choice of language for writing is an important issue in contemporary creative writing, especially for writers residing in Haiti.

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