Dutch Caribbean Author Diana Lebacs has passed

SINT MAARTEN (PHILIPSBURG) - Beyond Kultura Events (BKE) Foundation has gotten the sad news yesterday of the passing of author Diana Lebacs, in Curaçao, BKE said in a press statement.

“DIANA LEBACS, born in Curaçao was a multi-talented author/poet, storyteller, teacher, Papiamentu translator, actor, and was well known in our Dutch Kingdom, Suriname, and Cuba.

“Her career began as a trained schoolteacher. She later obtained het master’s degree in Education in Papiamentu Language and Literature at the University of Curaçao. In 1971 she debuted with her Dutch youth novel Sherry, het begin van een begin. From 1974 she also started writing in Papiamentu.

“She is the first Antillean author to receive a Zilveren Griffel award for her childrens book Nancho van Bonaire. This book is the first of a set of four. In the seventies and the eighties, she was part of a group of storytellers Grupo Kuentanan Krioyo, under the direction of Tone Brulin of Belgium. Her youth novel Caimin’s geheim / Caimins secret won the award for youth literature of the Prins Bernhard Fonds Cultuurprijs Nederlandse Antillen & Aruba (2003).

“Diana wrote and directed various theaterplays for children such as: Buchi Wan Pia Fini, De Deur, Robin en Reuzenrobot, Flor di Kuskus. She also wrote, directed, and performed in several theatre plays for adults like A Mid-summer nights Dream and the film Boka Sar Antonio. Her most recent theatre plays which she wrote and directed is Mente a kohe Ala / Mind got wings (2011) about a man who suffers from Alzheimer, and the most recent play she performed as an actress was The Vagina Monologues (2004).

“Her latest film in which she acted, called Sensei Redemption (in Papiamentu, substitled in English) was released in the Cinémas in Willemstad Curaçao at the beginning of 2014. Diana Lebacs has been very active as an educational professional, coach, and curriculum developer in the field of educational innovation.

“In 2007 she received the royal nomination of Knight in the Order of Oranje Nassau (Ridder in de Orde van Oranje Nassau), from Holland, for her work and continuous cultural, social, educational, and artistic effort and support to the community of Curaçao

“Most of our adult and youth society know Diana Lebacs mainly for her literary works, like Sherry (1971), The Nancho of Bonaire series, for which she has gotten the ‘Zilveren Griffel’ in 1975, Suikerriet Rosy (1983), De Spokenband (1985), Het witte licht (1986), Lichten boven Klein Bonaire (1990), Robin en de reuze-robot (1992), De langste maand (1994) (roman), Caimins geheim (2002-tweetalig jeugdboek), Fula fula (2005), Waar is Olivier?, Ubuntu (2010), Belumbe/De waterlijn (2014-collection of poems), Duizend leugens bruidstaart (2017-novel), Grandesa di amistat (2018).

“In 2019 she visited Sint Maarten to share her storytelling skills and hand over certificates to candidates of Beyond Kultura’s Storytelling program.

“Her kindness and talents were valuable, mainly to our Dutch Caribbean societies. Condolences from Beyond Kultura Events Foundation to her daughter Melinda, family, and friends. May her soul rest in eternal peace,” the BKE press statement concludes.