Johanna Schouten-Elsenhout
| Johanna Schouten-Elsenhout | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
19 July 1910 Paramaribo |
| Died | 23 July 1992 |
Johanna Schouten-Elsenhout (19 July 1910 – 23 July 1992) was a Surinamese poet.
Life
Schouten-Elsenhout was born in Paramaribo in 1910. She is known for poetry which is written without verses. The poems are written in Sranan Tongo and it contains no punctuation. These love poems include lesbian love which is not taboo in the creole culture.[1] It is said that she had been composing and writing down proverbial phrases for a long time before she and others recognised that she was composing poetry. She has been called the Grandma Moses of Sranan.[2]
In 1987 she was awarded the Knight of the Order of the Yellow Star.
Work
In 1963 Johanna published her first poetry book called Tide ete (Done Today/ Vandaag nog). In 1965 her second book was published: Awese (Healing Spirit). An Awese is a healing spirit in Winti, the Afro-Surinam religion. Both books are "milestones in the emancipation of the language and culture of the Creole peoples of Surinam and of the Surinam Women's Rights movement."[3]
References
- ↑ Cudjoe, edited by Selwyn R. (1990). Caribbean women writers : essays from the first international conference (1. publ. ed.). Wellesley, Mass.: Calaloux Publications. p. 364. ISBN 0870237322.
- ↑ Arnold, ed. by A. James (1997). A history of literature in the Caribbean. Amsterdam: Benjamins. ISBN 9027234442.
- ↑ "Liefde voor de moedertaal | Oerdigitaalvrouwenblad". www.oerdigitaalvrouwenblad.com. Retrieved 2016-02-11.