Aruba’s Literary Journey: From Shadows to Sunlit Pages
In the sun-drenched embrace of?Aruba, where trade winds whisper secrets and waves kiss the shore, a literary landscape unfolds, woven by authors who celebrate their island’s past, present, and dreams of the future.
In the pre-industrial era of the 19th century, Aruba’s cultural identity was nascent. As part of a Dutch colonial territory, the island lacked political and economic autonomy. The small population consisted mainly of farmers and fishermen, tending to their crops and cattle. Entertainment and cultural manifestations were limited to local parishes and the island’s elite, who enjoyed activities like movie theatres and poetry readings after church. It wasn’t until the introduction of the?Lago Refinery?in San Nicolas in 1928 that Aruba experienced a cultural awakening. Farmers left their rural lives to work in the refinery, transforming the island’s economic landscape.
Literary Life Takes Root
Primary education arrived in the mid-19th century, followed by secondary and higher education in the late 1930s and 1940s. The 1950s marked a turning point. The?E.R.N.A agreement?(1951) and the?Statute?(1954) allowed greater control over Aruba’s economic and cultural development.
Literary production blossomed. Authors like?V.S. Piternella, along with migrant writers?José Ramón Vicioso?and?William Rufus, contributed to Aruba’s literary growth.
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Contemporary Voices past and present:
Aruba’s literary journey is a testament to resilience, creativity, and the quest for identity. As street names shift from Dutch colonial legacies to those of Aruban authors, the island’s literary soul emerges from shadows into the sunlit pages of its own stories.
See other authors here at https://caribbeanauthors.wordpress.com/authors/aruba/