What is in store for Haitian literature’s future? Several experts approached by Kreyolicious.com to tackle the subject have their say.
On board is Dr. Martin Munroe, the Director of the Winthrop-King Institute for Contemporary French and Francophone Studies and a Professor of French at Florida State University; Elsie Augustave, the author of The Roving Tree and MJ Fievre, the author of half a dozen books, and the editor of the anthology So Spoke the Earth. Edwidge Danticat, an award-winning author of more than a dozen books, shares her thoughts. Dr. Myriam Chancy, an award-winning writer, and former professor at Vanderbilt University and the author of Framing the Silence: Revolutionary Novels by Haitian Women and The Scorpion’s Claw, also gives her take. Lastly, we have Marie-Therese Thomas Labossiere, the author of Clerise of Haiti, a novel.
Do you see exile and immigration playing less and less of a role in Haitian literature as time goes by?
DR. MARTIN MUNROE: I think this is true, especially in relation to the period from the late 1950s to the mid-1980s; that is the Duvalier era. It is well known that many, though not all, of the major writers were forced to leave during this period, and it was natural that exile became a dominant theme in Haitian literature. Now, I feel there is a more dynamic relation between Haiti and the diaspora, and between Haitian authors inside and outside of the country. Those living abroad are generally freer to travel to Haiti than before, while those living in Haiti seem to have more opportunities to travel. I also have the impression that there is more choice for Haitian authors in this regard–that they do not have to choose as they did before between home and exile, and that they can experience something of both by living in Haiti and traveling abroad for festivals,conferences, or other engagements. This increased mobility is no doubt due to the greater visibility of Haitian literature abroad, which in turn is due to a number of factors, including the greater awareness of Haiti internationally, following the bicentenary and, especially, after the earthquake of 2010, and of course the high quality of the work being produced by the writers.
The theme of exile remains important however in a different way–in the notion of the internal exile, the idea that a writer or an individual may for a variety of reasons feel a sense of estrangement from his or her immediate surroundings to the extent that they feel they are in a form of exile.
Where do you see Haitian literature heading?
ELSIE AUGUSTAVE: Cultural globalization will probably become a major influence in the future of Haitian literature since migration is more and more prevalent in the life of Haitians of all social groups. And, literature is definitely a reflection of life.
DR. MYRIAM CHANCY: Well, personally, I’m very interested in seeing where Haitian literature written in French and in Kreyol will be going in coming years as recent trips to Port-au-Prince has revealed a wellspring of productivity; it’s uneven but it is prolific so I would watch that scene, some of it related to Lyonel Trouillot’s Thursday night [workshops and readings]. Beyond this, there is also a great deal more writing in French emerging out of France and Montreal; it seems that the earthquake ironically opened that door wide and the writing is very interesting.
I predict, then, that there will be a shift away from univocality and a looking towards production only from the US, in English, as in recent years. Of course, as someone who also writes novels in English, I’m also hoping that there will be more room for multivocality in the US for Haitian writers of all backgrounds. I’m also particularly interested in the increasing presence of Haitian women writers in all key languages though there seem to be fewer women writers than men in all sectors which is, unfortunately, in keeping with tradition. Be that as it may, I’ve also noticed an increasing attention to the representation of women in the works of male writers so there seems to be something going on around gender issues that should be interesting to watch. Personally, I think we could call this a moment of renaissance for Haitian literary arts. I hope it holds.
EDWIDGE DANTICAT: I see a lot of very positive things happening in Haitian literature both in Haiti and in the diaspora. There are established writers still producing really great work and wonderful young writers emerging and breaking through. Many of them we are discovering here online or via wonderful anthologies like So Spoke The Earth and other recent post earthquake anthologies that were published in Haiti and outside. Of course we can always have more. I am a voracious reader who will always want more. I would love to see, for example, one or several great contemporary Zola or Dickens or Dumas or Roumain or Alexis or Chauvet type novel/novelists come out of Cite Soleil and other disadvantaged areas in the urban and rural areas. So we have a very rich and powerful literature that could be richer if more talented young writers, especially within Haiti, had more access to publication in a way that would not cost them hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars out of their own pockets.
MJ FIEVRE: On a thematic level, Haitian literature remains static. Haitian writers continue to favor Haitian politics, history, and stories that invite social change. Gary Victor’s “Histoires entendues ou vecues dans un tap-tap” [Stories Heard and Lived in a Tap Tap] is a must-read. A lot of informational books continue to get published, including cooking and “savoir vivre” books. Recently, many authors have chosen to use a memoiristic approach to nonfiction, choosing to put their personal experiences “out there” instead of hiding behind the veil of the simple reporter. Maryse Noel Roumain recently published Evocations de mon Passé [Evocations of My Past]. I’ve noticed many books being published by local celebrities: Tonton Bicha, by Daniel Fils-Aime, is one example. It also seems that Haitian literature has become more daring. More books talk openly about sex and sexual identity. As far as languages are concerned, more and more books are published in Creole, both in poetry and fiction. I’ve recently acquired Toutouni [Butt-Naked] by Vye Ewol.
When I published my first novel at 16, it was unheard of because, traditionally, only “old people” published books. Now many of our writers are very young. At Livres en Folie [a book fair in Haiti], I met many novelists and short story tellers who are under 25.
MARIE-THERESE LABOSSIERE THOMAS: Now more than ever rich, vibrant, and dynamic, Haitian literature appeals to an increasingly larger and diverse audience in Haiti and abroad. Technology is allowing the many young authors, their older counterparts, as well as supporting institutions, to multiply opportunities for productive exchanges with the public. Cosmopolitan and yet deeply rooted in Haitian reality, diaspora writers broaden the cultural landscape and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future.
Image Credit: The French Institute
