Goan Novel ''The Sixth Night'' by Canadian Goan
author, Silviano C. Barbosa


Goa Raj Books
Panjim, December 10, 2004,
14 Lakeview Colony,
Miramar, Panjim, Goa, India
Tel: 2463242 Email: goarajbooks@...

Press Release

“Goaraj Books” is proud to publish a Goan novel “THE
SIXTH NIGHT” by Canadian Goan author, Silviano C.
Barbosa.

Title: THE SIXTH NIGHT
Book: Hard Cover, 8 ½ by 6, 314 pages
Author: Silviano C. Barbosa
Publisher: Goa Raj Books (Canada)
ISBN # 0-9736200-0-5
Cover Art: Venantius J. Pinto (New York)

The novel portrays the travails of a Catholic girl
growing up in traditional Goa of the 1950s during the
last decade of the Portuguese rule.
Linda Cardoso derives immense pleasure from the simple
village life steeped in customs, traditions, feasts
and celebrations. Until…she comes face to face with
ugly caste discrimination inflicted on her people for
centuries.
An old Goan custom declares that the goddess who
visits the child on the sixth night after birth
determines the destiny of the child forever. Was it
her destiny to be beautiful, lively and excel at
everything and yet be unhappy?
May be the goddess had not felt welcome enough… She
falls hopelessly in love with a foreigner, only to
lose him abruptly during the Indo-Portuguese conflict
of 1961.
Left alone, ostracized, helpless and pregnant with a
half-Portuguese love-child, she struggles with
thoughts of despair, single motherhood and the pain of
separation as life drags her through three continents
ultimately landing her in a new country - Canada.
A story of love, hate, jealousy and intrigue - great
insights into Goan life, traditions and customs. Will
bad karma haunt her all her life? Or will her steely
determination and innate goodness change what was
written on the Sixth Night?

The book starts with a detailed nostalgic background
of the Goan village life, slowly taking the reader to
a fast life of a Liceista at Liceu Nacional Afonso de
Albuquerque in the Cidade de Goa, Pangim, where the
novel reaches its climax and the protagonist feels the

after-effects of Indian invasion/Goan liberation, and
from there the last part of the book takes the reader
through complexities in life through the U.K. Portugal
and Germany and finally to Canada.

The preview readers have already hinted at the
possibility of a Bollywood movie based on the story.
With heavy doses of nostalgia, humour, usage of
Konkani and Portuguese words to give the novel an
authentic touch of a life in pre-liberation Goa, the
novel is a feel-good kind of a story, which rewards
the reader for going through over 300 pages of
interesting intellectual, social, and political
stimulation, deductive reasoning, logical conclusions,
and historical exclusions.

Silviano Barbosa, who now lives in Toronto, Canada,
after leaving Goa 33 years ago, still finds time to be
in touch with his mother-tongue Konkani and Goan
culture. He is one of the frequent posters on
‘goanet’, the Goan internet forum and also on the
Goacom BBS.

He has already produced a sold-out Konkani album
“Classic Goa - Hits of the Millennium” which has sold
over 4000 cassettes and CDs when he visited Goa in
1999. He wrote the lyrics of all the songs on this
album, some of which you can still hear on Goa’s FM
Radio.

This novel is his second contribution to Goa’s growing
cultural heritage, with his unconditional love for
Goa.

Goa Raj Books
Email : goarajbooks@...



From: ''Silviano Barbosa''
To: gulf-goans-owner@yahoogroups.com,
gulf-goans@yahoogroups.com, goa-goans@yahoogroups.com




Hello friends,

Panjim, December 10, 2004.


It gives me greate pleasure and pride to announce to
the world the
birth of my novel “The Sixth Night”.

Today, I have in my hand a beautiful hard cover book
''The Sixth Night'' and I really feel proud holding it
and enjoying the pleasure of my creation.
Thanks to our Goanetter Venantius J. Pinto, the
abstract cover picture gives this book an eye-catching
look.

I am in Goa right now enjoying the beach, the hot
weather, the SFX Expo and the just completed
International Film Festival of India at
Miramar/Campal in Panjim (I could see the fireworks
from my window at Miramar and could hear Remo and
others, too crowded, but beautiful IFFI).

After writing and re-writing the manuscript for 12
long years, I am
glad the dedicated task is finally over and my
manuscript has been turned into a novel at last. It's
my baby.

Anyone wishing to contact me in Goa can do so by
calling me at 0091-832-2463242 or by email
goache@....

During my last visit to Goa in 1999 I had released my
Konkani CD
“Classic Goa - Hits of the Millennium”, which is
sold-out with over 4000 cassettes/albums. This time
it’s my novel “The Sixth Night”. I hope I get the same
kind of response from readers as I got for my
CD/cassette listeners.

I have to thank everyone for helping me with this
venture through
support from Goanetters like Frederick Noronha, Joel
D'Souza, Eddie Fernandes and John D'Souza of Goacom,
Gaspar Almeida and Uly Menezes of Goa-World, Author
Jose Lourenco and Eugene Correia for contacts, and
other Goans like Joe Rebello of Croydon, U.K., Dr. Joe
Colaco of the Bahamas, engineer Agnelo Gomes of N.Y.
and other Niz Goenkars. (sorry can’t remember all the
names, far too many)

Let's all unite and help our culture. Please pass the
word around and
support our Goan culture and help buy the book. Anyone
going from Goa
to anywhere in the world can contact me in Goa and
take some copies with you. I will be in Goa till
January 10th 2005.
I hope all Goan associations around the world make it
a point to
support this effort by a NIZ GOENKAR from Toronto,
Canada. Please email me if you know of anyone who can
carry some books from Goa to anywhere Goan literature
and culture is appreciated.
Email goache@... or goarajbooks@...

Thanks to you all Goanetters, please don't take this
as a commercial,
but we have to spread the word, somehow. Special help
is needed regarding contacts in the Gulf countries and
also in Portugal, Australia, U.S. U.K., France, etc.

Thanks again for listening and spreading the word. My
task is over, and whether or not I get my money back,
I really don't care. Please make sure the word is out
and please buy the book and you can even give it out
as the best Xmas gift to your friends. And now I can
have a nice glass of my very own caju fenni like last
time and release all the stress by lying down lazily
on the beach at Miramar in Goa! I have been in Goa and
working hard for the past 2 weeks. But now I can
relax, sossegado! (Avoiss, him kimssam khatat mure!)
Dev borem korum!

Wish you all Happy Holidays!
Silviano C. Barbosa
Email me at goache@...
Residence in Panjim, Goa
Any goanetter visiting Goa can pick up your copies by
phoning 2463242
In Panjim at:
14 Lakeview Colony, Miramar, Panjim, Goa, India

=====

Season's Greetings from Gulf Goans e-Newsletter.
Moderator: Gaspar Almeida - Presented by Ulysses
Menezes www.goa-world.com/goa/ since 1994, archived at
www.yahoogroups.com/group/gulf-goans/
Email: goaworldtoday@...

EXPRESSIONS - The Flower Shop (Order flowers by email)
www.goa-world.com/expressions/xmas/
This Christmas as well as all year around
Email: expressions@...


=====

Season's Greetings from Gulf Goans e-Newsletter. Moderator: Gaspar Almeida
Presented by Ulysses Menezes www.goa-world.com/goa/ since 1994


















__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Send a seasonal email greeting and help others. Do good.
http://celebrity.mail.yahoo.com