Lasana M. Sekou

Lasana M. Sekou has authored over 20 books and is considered one of the prolific Caribbean poets of his generation. Dr. Armando Lampe writes that "he's considered the 'Walcott' of the Dutch Caribbean"[1] because of his prolific output, the range of subject matter and unique literary styling, which often includes the use of Caribbean Creole languages, Spanish, French, and Dutch — sometimes in one poem.

Sekou's titles, such as the critically reviewed The Salt Reaper – poems from the flats[2][3][4] along with 37 Poems, Nativity, and Brotherhood of the Spurs have been required reading at Caribbean, North American, Italian, and United Kingdom universities.[5][6][7] The author is himself a graduate of Howard University (MA, Mass Communication, 1984)[8] and Stony Brook University (BA, Political Science/International Relations, 1982).[8]

Awards and honors include an International Writers Workshop Visiting Fellow (Hong Kong),[9] a James Michener Fellow (University of Miami), a knighthood (The Netherlands),[10] Recognition for literary excellence in the service of Caribbean unity (Dominican Republic),[8] Culture Time Literary Artist of the Decade,[8] and the Caribbean Tourism Organization Award of Excellence.[11]

Sekou's poetry and reviews of his works have appeared in Callaloo,[12] The Massachusetts Review,[13] Del Caribe,[14] De Gids,[15] Das Gedicht,[16] Prometeo,[17] World Literature Today,[18] Caribbean Quarterly,[2] Postcolonial Text,[19] Jamaica Gleaner,[20][21] Caribbean Review of Books,[22] Boundary 2,[23] Harriet,[24] and Calabash.[25] His poems have been translated into Spanish, French, Dutch, German, Italian, Turkish, and Chinese.[8] Sekou has presented papers and recited his poetry at cultural and literary conferences and festivals in the Caribbean, North and South America,[26] Africa, Europe[27] and Asia. His recitals usually draw large crowds. In St. Martin he is often invited by schools, cultural organizations, and NGOs to recite his poetry and appears regularly on radio and TV discussing cultural, socio-historical, literary, and political issues.

The author's writings are used in high schools and in carnival stage presentations.[28] He is the editor of National Symbols of St. Martin – A Primer[29] and The Independence Papers, Vol. 1;[30] and the producer of Fête – The first recording of Traditional St. Martin festive music by Tanny & The Boys.[31][32] Sekou can be heard reciting his own poetry on The Salt Reaper – Selected poems from the flats (Audio CD, 2009) with music produced by award-winning digital arts designer Angelo Rombley.[33][34]

Sekou founded House of Nehesi Publishers (HNP) in his dorm room at New York's Stony Brook University in 1982, which has published his books (and others) since that time. He remains active as HNP's projects director since establishing the small press in St. Martin in 1984. At House of Nehesi Publishers he secured the publication of literary luminaries and pioneers such as George Lamming,[35] Kamau Brathwaite,[36] Amiri Baraka,[37] Tishani Doshi, Shake Keane,[8][38] Chiqui Vicioso,[8][39] Howard Fergus,[8] Marion Bethel,[40] and the Palestinian author Nidaa Khoury,[41] notable for her concept of post-monotheism. A host of first-time and previously-published authors from St. Martin and other territories and countries such as Ian Valz, Charles Borromeo Hodge, Jennie N. Wheatley, Wendy-Ann Diaz, Jay Haviser, Laurelle Yaya Richards, Patricia G. Turnbull, Sara Florian, Yvonne Weekes, and N.C. Marks have also been published by HNP.[42]

In 2003, Sekou co-founded the St. Martin Book Fair with Shujah Reiph, a leading cultural activist and president of the Conscious Lyrics Foundation.[43][44]

Sekou is an advocate for the independence of St. Martin, which is a colony of France and the Netherlands.[30][45] In the 1994 and 2000 consultative constitutional status referenda that were held in the Southern or Dutch part of St. Martin, Sekou was a leading organizer and speaker for the Independence option as a member of the Independence for St. Martin Foundation, of which his brother and political scientist Joseph H. Lake, Jr., was the founding president.[8]

• Allen-Agostini, Lisa, "S'maatin poems." The Caribbean Review of Books Feb. 2006. www.meppublishers.com
• Badejo, Fabian Ade, "Negritude in the Forgotten Territories: Lasana Mwanza Sekou and Aimé Césaire". Negritude: Legacy and Present Relevance. Eds. Isabelle Constant and Kahiudi C. Mabana. UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2009.
• Badejo, Fabian Ade, "Where I See The Sun … I see harvest", Werkgroep Caraïbische Letteren, 01.09.2013.
• Badejo, Fabian Adekunle, Salted Tongues – Modern Literature in St. Martin. St. Martin: House of Nehesi Publishers, 2003.
• Balderston, Daniel and Gonzalez, Mike, eds., Encyclopedia of Latin American and Caribbean Literature, 1900–2003. New York: Routledge, 2004.
• Brown, Stewart, & Mark McWatt, The Oxford Book of Caribbean Verse. London: Oxford University Press, 2005.
• CDV – Antillen/Aruba: uit de gunst. Amsterdam: Boom Tijdschriften, Winter, 2005.
• Fergus, Howard A., Love Labor Liberation in Lasana Sekou, St. Martin: House of Nehesi Publishers, 2007.
• Ferguson, James, ed., Traveller's Literary Companion – The Caribbean. London: In Print Publishing Ltd., Coleridge House, 1997.
• Figueredo, D. H., ed., Encyclopedia of Caribbean Literature. Connecticut; London: Greenwood Press, 2006.
• Florian, Sara PhD, Caribbean Counterpoint: The Aesthetics of Salt in Lasana Sekou, St. Martin: House of Nehesi Publishers, 2019.
• Gibbs, Jeanean, ed., Gurus and Griots, Poems and Poets of Africa, of America, and the Caribbean. Palm Tree Enterprises Inc., 1987.
• Kobbe, Montague, The Prose of Diction: Lasana Sekou’s Short Stories. Memo from La-La Land, 29 November 2009.
• Lampe, Dr. Armando, ed., The Future Status of Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles. Aruba: FUNDINI, 1994.
• Las palabras pueden: Los escritorios y la infancia/ Words Are Powerful: Writers and Childhood. Panama: UNICEF, 2007.
• Lasana Sekou to PM and President Hanson: Denounce Dominican Republic's Racist Law Against its Black Citizens. MNI Alive.com: Global Caribbean Media, 8 December 2013.
• Rutgers, Wim, ed., Tropentaal 200 jaar Antilliaanse vertelkunst. Amsterdam/Antwerpen: Uitgeverij Contact, 2001.
• Stemmen van Overzee. Toekomstdromen. Amsterdam: KIT Publishers, 2004.
• Smith, Wycliffe S., ed., Winds Above the Hills. St. Maarten Council on the Arts, 1982.
• Smith, Wycliffe S., ed., Windward Islands Verse, A Survey of Poetry in the Dutch Windward Islands. 1981.
• Ward, Rochelle, Tell Me Again: Lasana M. Sekou's Love Songs Make You Cry, RW | Rochelle Ward, 16 July 2014.
• Writers of Post-colonial English Speaking Countries. Hong Kong: International Writers Workshop, 2004.

• Florian, Sara. Hurricane Protocol by Lasana M. Sekou. Verse. Autumn 2019 in World Literature Today.
• Florian, Sara. “The Polyglot Pride of St. Martin”: An Interview with Lasana M. Sekou. October 2010 in sx salon.
• Nowak, Mark. "Labor Love." Harriet at Poetry Foundation
• Rombley, Angelo. "CasualtiesFX3." Video. Vocals "casualties" by Lasana M. Sekou. 14 Feb. 2009 on YouTube
• Sekou, Lasana M. "Poems." Video. Lasana M. Sekou reading from "Book of The Dead" and "The Salt Reaper", Incroci di civiltà, Venice, Italy, 2017 on YouTube
• Sekou, Lasana M. "Nativity." Video. selection from "Nativity", Casa de las Américas, Havana, Cuba, 2014 on YouTube