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Diana Lebacs

Diana Lebacs
Diana Lebacs

(Curaçao, 1947), has Indonesian, European, local, Surinamese and Indian roots. She was a teacher, school leader, trainer and coach for educational innovation and has been writing since she was 23 in Dutch and Papiamentu. On her island Curaçao, besides being known as a writer, she is also known as an actress, storyteller, reciter, dramatist/stage director and she's also actively involved in stimulating and coaching new local writing talent. She obtained her Bachelor of Education in Papiamentu at the Faculty of Arts of the University of the Netherlands Antilles (UNA), and is currently doing her Master of Education in Papiamentu. She received the Zilveren Griffel for her children's book Nancho van Bonaire (Leopold, 1976). And in 2003 she was awarded the Culture prize for Youth literature of the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds Nederlandse Antillen en Aruba for Caimins Geheim (Leopold/Stichting NANA, 2001). In 1994 she published her first adult novel: De langste maand (In de Knipscheer, 1994), which shows the jungle of drug addiction and unemployment in Curaçao. Her most recent publications are a picture book in Papiamentu called, Fula fula (2005, publication Rotary Curaçao), 'Vrouwen aan het woord: Waarover we niet moeten praten' (2007, In de Knipscheer). Unda Olivier ta / Waar is Olivier?(2009) is her latest children's book in Papiamentu and Dutch, published by Fundashon Sembra Buki in Curaçao. Currently, Diana is working on her second adult novel.

Archive available for: Diana Lebacs

  • Antillen/Suriname 2010

    Krusa Laman - Kaminda rais a kue tera/A Sense of Belonging - Curaçao

    With: Bas Heijne, Bernice Chauly, Bòi Antoin, Diana Lebacs, Dolce Música, Iman Humaydan, Johnny Kleinmoedig, Mario Kleinmoedig, Yasmine Allas

    Debate, film and music. Three literary debates betweem two authors. One debate in Dutch, one in Papiamentu and one in English. Theme of the talks is 'Sense of Belonging'. The talented, multi-lingual publicist and activist Mario Kleinmoedig is the moderator. At the end of the evening we see a short impressive fragment from a documentary on the African writer Koulsy Lamko (Tsjaad, 1957). This will put the debates in a special perspective. During the evening, there will be music by the Curaçao group Dolce Música and pianist Johnny Kleinmoedig.

  • Antillen/Suriname 2010

    Krusa Laman - Curaçao

    With: Bas Heijne, Bernice Chauly, Dennis Aalse Ensemble, Diana Lebacs, Elia Isenia, Frouwkje Smit, Iman Humaydan, Roland Colastica, Roy Evers, Shrinivási, Yasmine Allas

    On Curaçao the Fundashon pa Planifikashon di Idioma (Foundation for language planning), is the organisational partner for Winternachten. During the festival Krusa Laman on Curaçao all writers and performers will use their own language. Their words will be projected in the local language, Papiamentu. The translations have been taken care of by the FPI. This year's theme 'A sense of belonging' has been translated as the metaphor Kaminda rais a kue tera.
    This theme is leading for the festival in Curaçao, and will be dealt with from different perspectives. A substheme is migration, and migration in literature. For FPI, the Curaçao anthropologist Richenel Ansano wrote a sensitive essay, Between Love and Terror: Having a Sense of Belonging is no Joke. This essay is available for free for the audience.

    The public library of Curaçao also gives special attention to the theme Kaminda rais a kue tera. On 9 April there will be a festive opening of an exhibition on Krusa Laman and the theme, with all sorts of information on the participating writers and artists, their work, countries of origin, etc..

    Then there are the workshops for secondary school pupils, at the schools that will be visited by the authors. Creative writer Elodie Heloise is preparing the children and students for the festival in workshops. During these workshop the pupils will deal with the theme, and deliver materials for the exhibition in the library.

    Of course the theme A Sense of Belonging is also present in the public performances. There are the readings of the authors, but besides this the visual artist Frouwkje Smit has made an artistic slideshow with pictures of a number of well known and lesser known people from the island, including writers and artists. Al the authors were asked to choose their favourite spot on Curaçao, where they feel most at home. They also chose a text with the spot. The slideshow is combined with music, and will be shown on Friday 16 April in Villa Maria, Scharloo. The versatile artist Roland Colastica will be the M.C. of that evening.