Love, lust, tragedy and inner darkness: those are some of themes that Belizean writer Kesha Peyrefitte explores in her new book entitled "What if…I Love Her and other Stories". For many writers, especially Belizean - it is challenging and even intimidating to find one's voice and unique style in the expanse of Art. But today at her book launch at the National Heritage Library in Belmopan, Peyrefitte told us that she found and embraced her voice and calling at a young age. Courtney Weatherburne has the story.
Courtney Weatherburne reporting
That song of admiration led the launch of Belize's most recent literary piece "What if...I love her and other Stories" by Kesha Peyrefitte.
Emil Pulido, Author Presenter
"First Ms. Keisha waxes sweet and figurative with lines like "your fairy wings leave their dust at night." or the charming truly Belizean simile "her body is hills and valleys like the Maya mountains of down south." or the personification "I hate that our roofs cries when it rains and there are cardboard pieces over the wall to stop her tears.""
Those are just a few words from Peyrefitte's collection of short stories. She started composing and editing these stories about 6 months ago but her journey as a writer started from a very early age.
Kesha Peyrefitte, Writer
"It was a calling that came to me. As a child I was always a reader. It just seem logical that I too would be a writer. So it's something that I've been listening to. At first I didn't take heed to that voice and when I finally did, it sprouted wings in me and the rest is history. My process is very simple. I am blessed with being able to come up with a variety of ideas and stories. What I do is I jot them down on paper and as soon as I have an idea, a line, they usually start off as lines. Lines that relate to each other, but not necessarily fall into any sequential or logical essence. I explore. I let the spirit of the story takes me somewhere, wherever that is. I let the narrative explore itself and then I find myself, I find the story, I find the heart, I find a beat and I breathe life into it."
And from that process came her first book. Peyrefitte traced some of the major themes in her work
Kesha Peyrefitte, Writer
"The stories range from themes. The first 3 stories are from the political nature. It tackle the very real and raw version of two party politics in Belize. And then it moves into love and love in unexpected places. It further goes into darkness and it speaks about things that are so hush hush and so under the rug and it's a privilege for me to be able to be a voice to some of these themes."
But she hopes that voice will reverberate and inspire readers to support Belizean artists to and for those artists to continue honing their craft.
Kesha Peyrefitte, Writer
"It's risky what I do. One word and I'll be kick out of school. One word and I can kiss graduation goodbye. One word and I can kiss being the first person in my family to earn a high school diploma. It's risky what I do. There is a picnic bench under a shady tree that faces her office and from a distance I can see when she leaves and when the other teachers bolt. At just the right moment, according to my intuition I knock on her door, open it without an invitation and walk right up to her desk say "good evening ma'am"."
If you want a copy of Peyrefitte's book you can contact her on Facebook or buy a copy at either Dakers or Formosa in Belmopan and the Image Factory in Belize City.
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