Dec 12
I was really excited to hear on the news last night about the relaunch of Bim magazine.
Bim was started in 1942 by the renowned Barbadian and Caribbean man of letters, Frank Collymore.
The magazine was implemental in the development of West Indian literature, and played a part in nurturing the early careers of Edgar Mittelholzer, Derek Walcott, George Lamming, and Kamau Brathwaite.
Kamau said about Bim in an interview some years ago
I am lucky in that Bim magazine was there. If it hadn’t been there, I would have dried up.
For me, it was the only outlet at the time. All my stuff is in Bim—short stories, literary criticism, poetry.
It was Bim when I was a struggling writer and people were not supporting what I was doing and I couldn’t get support from friends, family, critics or writers.
The Prime Minister of Barbados has promised that the Barbadian government will provide financial support for the magazine to help ensure its sustainability.
Bim will be published twice yearly. I am hoping that it will also have a notable web presence.