BY: Adebe D.A

Poet Nadine Williams is using the power of her craft to bring to light social issues that she feels need to be addressed. Her self-published chapbook, The Culmination of Marriage Between Me & My Pen, highlights Williams’ fundamental belief in the connection between the personal and political.

“I would have to say the link for me is being able to chronicle my journey in the hopes of inspiring others on their ascent,” she says. Williams’ collection is an eclectic stew of poems that journey through issues of spirituality, social injustice, love, violence and the importance of literacy. It features four pieces written in patois, and is topped with what Williams calls “a generous helping of humour.”

Referring to this collection as her “fourth child,” Williams is especially interested in charting the horizons of her childhood in Jamaica, her travels to Canada and eventual trials as a single mother of three children.

Yet poetry is more than a recording or memory storage device for the young artist. Williams hopes her words “can be an inspiration to others, whether they’ve travelled similar paths, or can simply identify with the paths travelled.”

With a goal to continually be inspired while inspiring others, Williams voice is now being heard across various black communities in partnership with other community leaders who recognize the need to empower black youth, and address issues of education and violence with this demographic. “It is my firm belief that each and every one of us is capable of making a difference in the lives of our youth.”

Participating in continued dialogue with community members is something Williams sees herself doing for the foreseeable future.

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She is also scheduled to launch The Culmination of Marriage Between Me & My Pen in Jamaica at the request of government officials who have taken a keen interest in the book and its dynamic author.

After years of dedication to her artform, the recent arrival of acclaim for her work has not diminished the love of craft that brought Williams to this point. Instead, she continues with the same ideology that pushed her to make her dream a reality. Williams advises: “Write for yourself. If others love your work, that’s just icing.”