Author’s Debut Novel: An Unending Search
Port of Spain – A New Chapter
Award-winning Trinidad and Tobago journalist, Ryan Bachoo, launched his debut novel this month, telling the desperate tale of a young East Indian boy trying to escape the grip of poverty in rural south Trinidad.
A Journey of Self-Discovery
In this West Indian fiction, one thing is for certain, America remains the promised land for many Caribbean people. The novel takes the reader on a journey where the protagonist, Tar, is trying to find his way out of the cane fields, out of south Trinidad, and out of Trinidad on the whole. New York represents this beacon of hope for the young man – as it has been and continues to be for countless Caribbean people.
Racism and Classism
In the novel, Uncle Sundar impresses upon Tar the urgent need to find his way to London or New York “because the Eric Williams government is racist and there are no opportunities for young people in the country.” The novel confronts the themes of racism, classism, and is a journey of self-discovery.
Author’s Journey
Bachoo started writing the novel in 2009 and finished the first draft five years later. He didn’t have the money to go through the publishing process nor did he think the novel was good enough to print so he put it down for ten years. The multimedia journalist would pick it back up in December, 2023, and had an editor review the piece of work. He would spend all of 2024 reworking the plot, the writing, and characters before publishing late last year.
Dedication
Bachoo dedicated his debut novel to his parents, telling the Caribbean Times, “One major reason for publishing this novel was to immortalize my parents and I. Books outlive people and when we’re gone I hope people pick up this book and consider the people mentioned in it, if for only a brief moment.”
Future Plans
Bachoo is planning to visit New York this year to have a mini-launch as well as attend the Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival. “The city of New York is very important to Caribbean people. An estimated 20% of the 8.8 million people in New York City have roots in the Caribbean. I want this book to bring back some semblance and some memory of Caribbean life that they might have lost or long for.”
Journalistic Background
Bachoo has been a journalist in Trinidad and Tobago for the last 15 years, covering news and current affairs, sport, and climate change. In 2023, his documentary, Concordat, won the Caribbean Broadcasting Union’s Best Documentary Award. He wouldn’t lift the lid on whether he has plans on writing a second novel but he did say writing a book is a personal journey and should be done with some level of privacy. “While you’re telling the journey of a protagonist in a novel, you’re also going through a journey of your own while writing a book – a journey best traveled alone,” Bachoo concluded.
Conclusion
FAQs
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Late last year - What are the author’s plans for the future?
Bachoo is planning to visit New York this year to have a mini-launch and attend the Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival.