Dem Seh: Bunx Tales

by Owen Ifill

"Dem Seh" is a book of stories from my village, Buxton. I come from a village of great tradition and history, and one of its many traditions is its storytelling. We are a predominantly black village; direct descendants of slaves, and so storytelling has always been with us. We have always had a line of great storytellers, or as we say "shit talk artists". The book is a small collection of some of the more popular and hilarious stories. Some are contemporary and others are from the previous generation. This book grew out of a sense of the need for renewal in my village. Buxton suffered through some violent and stressful times a few years ago, and I felt that Buxton needed to laugh again; to laugh at itself again. To celebrate itself again. This book is a gift to Buxton, for Buxton has always given of itself. Part of its proceeds will be donated to social and educational initiatives in the village.

I was born in Buxton, Guyana, on the east coast of Demerara, where I received my primary and secondary education. I left for Cuba in 1980, where I completed studies in Medicine in 1985. I returned to Guyana, and after serving out my contract, came to the United States in 1992. I am currently practicing in Primary Care and Addiction Medicine in Brooklyn New York, where I live with my wife and daughter. I have been writing on and off since I was a child and have three previous publications; "Infinite circles", "In flux" and "Godma". All self published.

144 pages, Nook

First published June 9, 2011