Keeping Guyanese folk tales alive with ‘Black Watuh Tales’

Local writer’s book currently available on Amazon

MANY of us have grown up hearing folk stories told to us by our grandparents and other relatives.

If you go to the countryside of Guyana, you would often hear of older folk who would tell you of various folk stories about mythical creatures that roam our country.

The Pepperpot Magazine spoke with one local writer who is determined to ensure the continuity of those stories through her book, “Black Watuh Tales,” which is currently available on Amazon.

According to Grace Hutson, author of the collection, the book consists of 10 short stories.

“’Black Watuh Tales’ is a book of fiction written about folklore, but it takes place right here in Guyana,” Hutson was quoted as saying.

According to Hutson, the inspiration behind writing this book was basically her love for Guyanese history, being a fan of the horror genre, and a lot of dreams, which she compiled into her book.


Receptivity upon her release of the book

Hutson described people’s responses to her book as positive as and included advice on how she could improve her presentation of other pieces and short stories she may write.

According to her, this is only volume one of five volumes that she plans to write. She also intends to write a full-length novel.

There was a time in Guyana when folklore stories were the in thing, but according to Hutson, time evolved and the art of telling stories under the moonlight is dying.

“Well, everybody needs to remember that these stories would have come from a time when storytelling was a means of survival and a means of transmitting culture to the next generation. The art is currently dying because we do not have sitting under the moonlight or the elders in the village or grandparents in households telling their grandchildren stories from the past,” Hutson told the Pepperpot Magazine.

She believes that even if we have to put our own spin on things as she did, we must keep storytelling alive.

She opined that this is how culture will survive.

“More should be done, definitely. The first thing is giving people the opportunity to tell these stories and encouraging them to use their perspective, because everybody’s experience isn’t going to be the same,” she shared.

It is important for national involvement to revive the art and to revive it in a way that captures the minds of the next generation, in a world where technology is becoming more advanced, Hutson expressed during her interview.

According to her, she really wants to capture the hearts and minds of the young generation in such a dynamic and unique way, and in their own language and style.
Hutson believes that preserving our history is of paramount importance to us because it guides us as a people, community and nation.

“There are so many lores in every part of the world, the western world and you do not see representation here in Guyana, so I believe it is important for people to have that representation, so that we can have an identity,” Hutson told the Pepperpot Magazine.

She applauded the Ministry of Culture‘s efforts to preserve our culture; as she puts it, there are making strides in the right direction.

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