First-time fiction author encourages young Trinis to write

Balliram “Chris” Baball believes there is a strong market for Trinidadian authors and is encouraging young writers and content creators to write.

While the 60-plus Baball is no stranger to writing, having published non-fiction on external and public debt, his Comfort Food and Breakin’ Biche (2022) is his first work of fiction.

The 210-page collection of short stories and poems is set in 1960s Rio Claro.

Baball grew up and went to school there.

Its blurb says: “Chris Baball explores themes which include food, escape, sex and death, often viewed through the eyes of a young boy.

“Some are intended to be humorous, with a Trinbagonian twist, others more serious and reflective. A glossary is added with the Trinbagonian dialect and some expressions used then.” The stories are told through the eyes of a young boy named Errol.

Baball, who lives in Geneva, Switzerland, worked with the UN as a senior debt management expert before retiring in 2015. He also worked with the Central Bank from 1977-91.

He studied economics and statistics at UWI, St Augustine, and then at New York University.

He began writing because he wanted to share with his children, nieces, nephews and grandchildren what it was like growing up in Trinidad and Tobago in the 1960s, devoid of many of the comforts they know today.

“There was no colour TV, not to mention WiFi, internet, all of those things. We had different ways to find entertainment.

“So I wanted to write some stories and poems for them to understand life as it was in the 1960s.”

He initially only intended his writing to be shared and read for his family and friends, but, through word of mouth, it reached the Geneva Writers’ Group, where it won the first prize for fiction in 2016.

After that he joined a subgroup, Virtuous Writing Group, composed of eight writers from different countries. They would meet once every four-six weeks and he was encouraged to submit drafts. Baball said once every two-three months he would submit something and it would be peer-reviewed and feedback given.

This led to the collection of short stories and poems, which took four-five years to compile. The Day the Ramajay Died was his first story.

The book also contains 19 coloured images by artists Ryan James and Keevyn Mohammed. Using pictures made the book even more special for Baball.

He wanted it to appeal to teenagers.

Independent UK publishers Pegasus Elliot McKenzie Publishers Ltd produced the book, after responding nine months to a year after he first contacted them.

“I was in the process of wondering whether I should self-publish. I actually contacted a printer here (Switzerland). I did not know how to self-publish, that is the truth about it.

“This was one of the items on my bucket list and I was happy that it was being realised.”

The collection addresses topics such as comfort food (his is sardines, by the way), love, sex, winning the lottery and breaking biche.

His story around that topic is based on real events, Baball said.

“This story takes place over a day. In our days, we used to be whipped with poui whips, not black sage, belt or ruler and – whether you were bright or not – they wanted to know you get whatever you did right and if not, you were going to be punished.

“The story Breaking Biche is about the story of this young guy, who, one day, couldn’t take the beating with the poui whip and decided to break biche.”

That was one of his favourite funny stories from the collection, he said.

He added that some of the stories were funny but the others were sombre and some of the poems emotive.

The poem Father (the last piece in the collection), was hardest for him to write, as it spoke to his own relationship with his father.

God is a Trini is a take on the popular local phrase, he added.

Baball has already started to produce more work. He plans another collection of short stories as he thinks “writing a short story is much easier and it is easier to complete it rather than writing a novel.”

Baball said he could continue writing about Errol’s adventures – or misadventures – or write about experiences he had while on his many travels working with the UN.

Through his own experience, he has come to the view that TT needs to encourage its young writers more.

“We are a very literate people and I think we have produced many good writers.”

He added that he was not only speaking of iconic writers like Sam Selvon, VS Naipaul or Earl Lovelace but of the new generation of authors like Celeste Mohammed and Kevin Jared Hosein.

“I think our people can write. I think we are natural storytellers and I would like to encourage the young particularly to write. Write about their experiences, whatever they may think about,” he added.

Even though it may appear daunting at first, Baball encouraged them to start, adding that they never knew where it might take them.

Comfort Food and Breakin’ Biche can be bought through Amazon and is available in hard copy or digital.

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