Efforts have been made to promote Goan culture and identity by setting up a section of books on Goa in different parts of the world
LUI GODINHO
THE GOAN | LONDON
Goans settled in different parts of the UK have been promoting their culture through music, dance, cuisine, Tiatrs, feasts and festivals with great fervour and fanfare.
Efforts have also been made to promote Goan culture and identity by donating books to different libraries across the UK.
The latest such book project is being set up by Domingos Seby Dias, local Labour Councillor in the Central Ward of Swindon city. As many as 55 books on Goa’s culture and history are being dispatched from Goa to Swindon as part of this project.
Swindon Councillor Domingos Dias standing outside the Central Library at Swindon, where a special section on Goan books will be set up.
“Many families of Goan origin had been approaching me for various kinds of assistance, and among one of their desires was to find a way for the younger generation to understand and appreciate Goan culture and history,” said Domingos.
“In fact, my father was also keen to get me to promote this cause and advised me to work out ways to do achieve this task.”
THE SWINDON BOOK PROJECT
Domingos interacted with some friends and then decided to propose to the Labour-run Swindon Council to have a section of Goa-related books at their Central Library, which would benefit the huge Goan community in Swindon.
“Under the leadership of the Swindon’s Goan Mayor Imtiyaz Shaikh, and support of Adorabelle Amaral Shaikh, the proposal was approved by the Swindon Council. But the council was not in a position to fund this project at the moment, and would have to wait for financial assistance,” said Domingos.
Instead of waiting for council funds, Domingos decided to sponsor the project with the support of his father, Jose Dias, mother Antonia Gonsalves, wife Eunice Luis and son, Doran Dias.
“I decided to go ahead with the first phase of this project in honour of my parents, as they have always encouraged me to contribute towards the Goan community in Swindon.”
Fifty-five books carefully chosen to cover various topics on the history and culture on Goa, including the book ‘Francis Xavier: DNA of a Saint’ published by The Goan to commemorate the recent 18th Exposition at Old Goa, have been purchased by the Dias family from the Dogears Bookstore at Margao-Goa.
“We contributed funds to arrange the first batch of Goa-related books to be dispatched from Goa. The Central Library at Swindon has made arrangements to allot a section for these books,” said Domingos.
“The first batch of books are being shipped to Swindon. On arrival, these books will be handed over to the staff at the Swindon Central Library to be catalogued. An official opening ceremony will be arranged once this section is set up and the books are ready to be loaned,” said Domingos.
The Swindon councillors said the books would be of interest to Goan youths and other communities in Swindon who are keen to learn about Goa’s rich heritage.
“After a year, a review will be conducted to check on the number of readers using this facility. Further collection of books will be added to expand the collection,” informed Domingos.
Domingos has also appealed to those Goans in the UK who may have Goa-related books to consider donating them to the Swindon Council library.
“People may connect with me by email (domingosdias20@yahoo.co.uk) and I would be happy to have these books at the Swindon Central Library.”
Domingos mentioned that this will be the first Goan project of its kind at the Swindon Council library.
“The library staff confirmed to me that while they have had many other sets of donations over the years for a variety of purposes and subjects, they have not had any donations with regards to Goan history and culture. Our book project will be the first on this subject,” said Domingos.
FROM GOA TO SWINDON
When contacted, Leonard Fernandes of the Dogears Bookstore at Margao stated that a batch of 55 books is being dispatched from Margao to Swindon.
“This is for the first time such a large selection of books is being shipped by us in one batch to the UK. Goa-related books covering fiction, history, cultural history, commentary, and diaspora history are included in the package. Many of these books have been published in the last 10 years,” said Leonard.
Books being packed at the Dogears Bookstore in Margao-Goa to be dispatched to Swindon-UK.
“It’s really nice that books are being sourced from Goa and the fact that Goan literature and culture are being made available to a wider audience in another country where the Goan community is of significant size.”
“It is a chance for both Goans to discover their roots and also for the larger community to understand who these people are living among us. We are in an age that many are curious of the others, and I think such books help to promote understanding and appreciation of the Goan community.”
OTHER BOOK PROJECTS
Incidentally, books on Goa’s history and culture have been donated to different libraries in the UK in recent years.
One such project was initiated through a collaboration with Selma Carvalho, Frederick Noronha, the Goan Voice UK and Goan Association UK sometime around 2011.
“In 2011, Goan Association UK sponsored a book stall at their festival in Cranford Houslow to be run by me. Goa’s publishing house ‘Goa,1556’ sent over their book titles. The stock that did not sell, and we decided to donate to libraries in the UK. To make it sustainable for the publisher, Goan Association UK and Goan Voice UK bought the books and they were then donated to libraries,” said Selma.
Shirley Gonsalves of Aberdeen also mentioned that she along with some members of the Goan Heritage, History and Culture Group had deposited books to UK libraries in the UK.
When contacted, Frederick Noronha of ‘Goa,1556’ recalled that Shirley Gonsalves and Michael Von Tangen Page had helped in setting up a collection of one lot of books.
“They paid in advance and took the stock to the UK and US. Before that, Anthony Fernandes from Saligao also took one or two lots, which I despatched to him. Earlier around in 2011, Selma had also taken some books to the UK,” said Frederick.
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The Goan Overseas Association (GOA) Toronto has also set up a library of Goa-related books at its Community Centre at Brampton.
A special section of books on Goa at the Community Centre of the Goan Overseas Association (GOA), at Brampton-Toronto.
“The books were all things ‘Goa’ donated by various members that include the Goa Today magazines from 1973,” said GOA Toronto President Selwyn Collaco.
“The library has books on Goan history, cuisine, music, autobiographies and also books by Goan Canadian authors. The intent of the Goa section was to create and promote literacy around Goan history, music and culture to the younger generation.”
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MENIN RODRIGUES
THE GOAN | TORONTO
Reading habits were an integral part of the Goan community in Karachi, particularly in Catholic schools, Church reading rooms, and community halls. The Karachi Goan Association (KGA) was no exception, with a library section that offered a diverse range of reading materials.
Menin Rodrigues (centre), Lenny Dias (second from right), President of the Karachi Goan Association, members, and some books on Goa’s culture at the KGA library.
Over time, however, interest in reading as an organised activity waned, and the KGA's library area became more of a display centre than a hub of literary engagement.
In 2010, I appealed to Goan writers to donate their publications to the KGA library. Frederick Noronha, a key contact, helped me spread the word, and Selma Carvalho responded generously by sending a carton full of Goa-related books.
These books are now safely in the possession of the KGA, thanks to Selma Carvalho's kindness and the collaborative efforts of the managing committee, headed by KGA President Lenny Dias.
The 18 Goa-related books which have been donated to the KGA library were Song of Goa - Crown of Mandos (Jose Pereira, Micael Martins & Antonio da Costa), The Many Faces of Sundorem - Women in Goa (Fatima da Silva Gracias), Feasts, Festivals and Observations of Goa (Maria de Lourdes Bravo da Costa Rodrigues), Mirror to Goa (Donna J Young), Picture-Postcard Poverty (Kalaand Mani & Frederick Noronha), The Last Prabhu (Bernardo Alvino de Souza), Aroma, from the Goan Kitchen (Shilpa Sinari), Reflected in Water, Writings on Goa (Edited by Jerry Pinto), Modern Goan Literature by Peter Nazareth), Into the Diaspora Wilderness (Selma Carvalho), Veni, Vidi...Goa (Luis S. R. Vas), Cozinha de Goa (Fatima da Silva Gracias), Home Style Cuisine (Joyce Fernandes), Temptations, A Culinary Escapade of Goa (Odette Mascarenhas), Delights from Goa (Aroona Reejhsingham), Goan Dishes (Sudha S. Amonkar) and Hansun Khellun Xikum (Pratap Naik SJ).
Besides, all my five books are directly or indirectly Goan-centric and a set of each publication has been donated to libraries in Karachi and Toronto. They are Gold to Platinum (50 copies to St Lawrence’s Parish, Karachi in 2008), The Glorious Traditions of St Patrick’s School Karachi (100 copies to St. Pat’s in 2018), Goans of Pakistan, Footprints on the Sands of Time (50 copies to the KGA, and 20 copies to the Goenkars Own Academy in 2023), The Life & Legacy of Joseph Cardinal Cordeiro (100 copies to St Patrick’s Cathedral, Karachi in 2023) and Chronicles of the Canorient (50 copies to the Canorient Christian Association, Toronto-Canada in 2024).
