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Udz has stepped into the world of fiction with "Benksaid Bembe," a story about a woman who you probably wouldn't want to upset. It's the latest work published fully in Belizean Kriol, with accompanying English translations. Udz launched the book today and Courtney Menzies was there. Here is that story.

Silvaana Udz is normally not known for works of fiction, but she has stepped outside her comfort zone with Benksaid Bembe. This novel not only serves to rescue the title of "bembe" from the negative connotations surrounding it, but it's one of only a few works published in the Kriol language.

And according to Udz, it's a fun read for the bembe in everyone.

Silvaana Udz, Author
"I have to tell you, there is a bembe in everybody and so growing up over the years, the idea of the bembe just being a bully or terrible, you actually have lovable bembes so this bembe, she's a riverbank bembe and she basically gets into a discussion with Kriol drums and Garifuna drums with some foreign visitors because tourism was just starting up in the time of this so what inspired me is that I just wanted to share this character that I came to see in myself and in so much of my friends. So much people when you don't mess with them, they won't mess with you, but you try not to mess with them, that's your bembe."

And for a linguist who has dedicated her life to the development of Kriol literacy, Udz said writing in her first language came naturally to her. And every novel published in Kriol, further develops the language.

Silvaana Udz, Author
"I did it in Kriol and this is something I want to share, when you conceive it like in the Kriol, it sounds more authentic, it sounds more real-real, more true-true than if you right first in English and then translate it unless English is your first language but if Kriol or Spanish or Garifuna or whatever is your first language, you write it in that language first, you think it, maybe you don't have all the spelling rules like how I got, then you just get it down and get an editor if you want. Then translate, because translation isn't right so. Translation isn't just word for word so you'll see some great examples in here when you watch the English right at the bottom of how the translation actually shows that you know what, this Kriol is a next language for real."

Courtney Menzies:
"With Benksaid Bembe and we also have Pengereng from Ms Kelly and then we have the Kriol Dictionary, does this give you hope for the Kriol Language that as time moves on, we will see more publications in Kriol?"

Silvaana Udz, Author
"Yes they just had this young lady who did Mahagni Gyal the other day. They teach themselves the Kriol Language, using the dictionary, the second edition of the dictionary is coming out soon and that is the spelling system this use, pretty much the same as first but we get rid of some of those extra H's like when bembe had on the H, it's still a standard variant but it's not easy so this is reflecting the second upcoming edition of the dictionary since I had privy to that too. Definitely hope, or Colin B Hyde, a person who wrote on the back, Colin B Hyde, every time he uses Kriol he teaches himself, he's someone giving us feedback and all."

"So yes a lot of hope is there, the Ministry and the teachers, they endorsed the first dictionary, so lots and lots of hope, enough hope is there."

And the publication of Benksaid Bembe wouldn't have happened without the help from the Angelus Press, where Udz hosted the launch.

Krystal Dougal, Marketing Coordinator, Angelus Press Limited
"With this, Ms Silvaana came to us, she had an idea, she had a creative mind, she came and we produced it and we brought it life for her so with the Angelus Press, we're very hands on when it comes to creating and helping out local authors and local writers so for example we have different authors like Mr Lawrence Vernon who has published many books with us and since we're a local business we support our local Belizeans so that's something that we always bring and try to support our local Belizeans with."

The retail cost of the book at Angelus Press is $30. It will also be available at Brodies.