Hadassah Williams: I’ll always choose writing
This week’s WE magazine highlights Hadassah Williams, an awardwinning writer from T&T–winner of the 2020 Brooklyn Caribbean Literature Festival, and Elizabeth Nunez Award for Writers in the Caribbean. Growing up, Williams said, she had read V S Naipaul and Derek Walcott among other great Caribbean writers and had a “nebulous idea” of being a writer, but didn’t think she could make a living from it until she attended workshops with the doyen of Caribbean writing, Earl Lovelace–(titled Mentoring with the Master) and Monique Roffey, (Costa prize winner).
Williams subsequently completed a course on writing a novel with The Faber Academy in the UK where her work was singled out for excellence. The following is an excerpt from her short story, Nerves published by Cosmonauts Avenue (2017).
Nerves–Hadassah Williams
“Still full, the glass of water sits at the edge of the night stand. Tiny droplets race down the glass forming a ring at the base. Soon, there will be another grey bruise on the dark lacquer. She had called out for the water while another young couple agonised over their future “Island home” on the TV. Each of the three options, with their open floor plans, high wooden ceilings and large bay windows overlooking the Caribbean Sea looked nothing like your island home or any other home that you know. Option three even came with several potted banana trees. At least there’s that in common; only that your bananas grow in a patch next to the drain at the back of the house. You get the water. Mixed with tap water topped off with cold water from the bottle in the fridge; just how she likes it. Now, both you and the water remain; waiting, while she sorts through the clothes. Then you understand the real intent behind the request–she wants to be near to you. And can you blame her? Now that the nine nights are over, and the white tent dismantled, and the withered floral arrangements with their broad satin ribbons disposed of, and all the Pyrex dishes returned to neighbours and friends; you find yourself peeking at her from the corner of the corridors and door frames, looking for the right moment for when you can sneak back to your life. But she’s not letting you go just so; no, not this time. She has learned from her mistakes. But she needn’t worry, you know that she has raised you well; you will not abandon your mother while she is grieving. You take a sip from the glass before easing onto the bed beside her. Four plastic clothes baskets surround her and each one is lined with a blue garbage bag. She sees you reaching for the nearest one, but she says that you’ll just slow her down. Each piece dredged from the basket is examined in the late afternoon light and the lucky ones are refolded and stacked neatly on the bed; the rest are added to the pile at her feet.
The crisp January breeze lifts the curtains over her head like a veil then drops them like a shroud. Theirs was always the breeziest room in the house. Yesterday, she removed his suits which were always to the left of the wardrobe, her dresses and skirts remain squashed to the right. She tried to get you to take some for David but you don’t want to see your husband in your father’s suits, even if they were only worn once.”
End of Excerpt.
Williams, currently under offer from three prestigious UK universities to complete her Masters in Creative Writing (MFA)–(Glasgow, Oxford and East Anglia) is waiting for the scholarship decision. “I’m self-funded, but it’s a challenge. I’ve reached out to institutions for support. I continually ask myself how far I am willing to go with a financial sacrifice, time, and writing in a career path filled with uncertainty. Every time it comes up, the answer is always the writing.” Williams has been published by Peekash Press (2016), Cosmonauts Avenue (2017), Interviewing the Caribbean Magazine–Winter 2016 Issue– (2017) and Xavier Review Issue 42 Vol 2–2023 and is currently working on her first novel.
Ira Mathur is a Guardian columnist and the winner of the non-fiction OCM Bocas Prize for Literature 2023