Gulf -Goans contributor Walter Menezes

Gulf -Goans e-Newsletter contributor Walter Menezes
gets ‘Konknni Martir Florian Vaz Puroskar’



Against the backdrop of TSKK Awards, the following is the small write-up about the award winner Walter Menezes as also a review of the Konkani book “ZOIT ani her KOVITA” as written by J P Pereira and published in the Navhind Times.

- Moderator.


Gulf -Goans contributor Walter Menezes
gets ‘Konknni Martir Florian Vaz Puroskar’

For the last two years TSKK gives an award ‘Konknni Martir Florian Vaz Puroskar’ for the best Konknni book of the calendar year written in Roman script.

Zoit ani her Kovita, a poetry book in Konkani by Walter Menezes from Quepem published in 2008 has been selected. Walter Menezes is a noted Konknni writer. Besides Konknni, he writes articles in English also.


TSKK will also honour the veteran Konknni writer of religious literature, Fr Almir de Sousa as the nineteenth recipient of Kendra’s prestigious “Antonio Pereira Konknni Puroskar (APKP)”.

Both these awards and Lourenço and Umbelina de Souza Scholarship to Ms Concy Fernandes from Vasco will be given during the public function at TSKK premises, Alto Porvorim, Goa on 28 April 2009 at 5.30 pm. Mr. Pandharinath Lotlikar, the Ex-Director of Doordarshan Kendr, Panaji will be the Chief Guest.


About Walter Menezes:
Writer, freelance journalist and cartoonist, Walter Menezes has two books in Romi Konknni to his credit: Koddu Sonvsar ani her kotha (1987), a collection of short stories and Zoit ani her kovita (2008), a collection of poems.

Koddu Sonvsar bagged the Konknni Bhasha Mandal’s Sahit’ya Puroskar in 1988.

Recipient of a ‘Junior Fellowship in Literature’ (1991-1993) awarded by the Department of Culture, Ministry of Human Resources, Govt. of India, he has conceptualised Prescription of Charity, a 4:40 minutes film documentary on Rev. Fr. Antonio Joao de Miranda, founder of Hospicio Hospital, Margao. This documentary can be viewed on www.ishare.rediff.com under ‘others’ category.

A former officer of Union Bank of India, Walter Menezes is on the editorial board of Jivit, a monthly magazine in Romi Konkani.

He also contributes cartoons / comic strips to Gomantak Times, Goa under the title, Out Of My Mind.

Book review of Zoit ani her kovita:

Message through poems
By J. P. Pereira [Navhind Times, March 07, 2008]


‘Saddyo vantt

Poixe vantt

Lokxayechea mornnachi

Vazoi ghantt!’


This is one couplet from the impressive collection of poems by Walter Menezes from Quepem, Goa and titled ‘Zoit ani her kovita’.

Walter, a regular contributor to most of the reputed newspapers and magazines published in Goa, had written these poems, which were earlier published in various periodicals. ‘ZOIT’ narrates the evils and sufferings of war, with a plea to end this evil and work towards a goal, the goal of freedom.

There is ‘Jezu, Ixtt Mhozo’ describing the love that Lord Jesus showered on us, a mother’s lament in ‘Eke Avoiche Suskar’ and a meaning of true love in ‘Don Suknneanchi Gozal’. Besides these, there are 46 others, all written in a simple but attractive language with an impressive message.

‘Je meren dusreanchem

Tujea dolleant

Dukh asa

Tujea kallzant

Tanchi bhuk asa

Je meren dusreancho

Tujea monant

Usko asa

Tuje jinnent

Tancho mog asa

Te meren

Hea sonvsarak

Ozun bhorvanso asa.’


From the first page, where the writer dedicates the book to his parents with the words, ‘Mogall pai ani maim, hem ‘zoit’ tumchem, mhojem nhoi!’, through the foreword by Tomazinho Cardozo and the fifty poems, the book is a great read. The cover designed by Dale Menezes is attractive and the writer does acknowledge the graphic by some unknown artist.

This is Walter’s second book after ‘Koddu Sonvsar’, a collection of short stories, published in 1987..

We wish Walter, his wife Brenda (remember her collection of humorous one-act plays?) and their family all the best and expect more publications from this couple.

Don’t miss reading the book.
(End of Review)



Other books published by Cindy Publications, Goa:


Koddu Sonvsar / Walter Menezes
(collection of short stories)




Natt’yangann / Brenda Menezes
(collection of humorous one-act plays)




Noxibant Nirmilelem / Camilo F Menezes
(collection of short stories)



It would be interesting to note that “ZOIT ani her KOVITA” was released through the goa-world.com network in Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar during popular programmes organized by Goan organizations in these GCC countries simultaneously.

Congratulations Walter! Keep the pen flowing!


Ulysses Menezes & Goa-World.Com Team
Gulf-Goans e-Newsletter (since 1994)
www.goa-world.com

Kuwait, April 23, 2009>
http://www.goa-world.com/GOA/music/live.htm