About Us
Belletrista is a not-for-profit, bimonthly web magazine which seeks both to
encourage cross-cultural understanding through international literature written
by women and to increase the visibility of that literature.
Belletrista is the brain child of Lois Ava-Matthew but the idea has been developed
and honed by a remarkable international group of readers who came together as our
Board of Advisors, each bringing to the magazine special skills, talents and education.
Our initial group of writers and reviewers come from the US, UK, continental Europe,
Canada, Ireland, Australia and South Africa, a list that is expanding. A majority of
our content is freelance-written.
We approach our mission as readers, not as academics or book industry professionals.
Belletrista hopes to bring its unique view of women-authored, global literature to a
broad audience of international booklovers, from the seasoned fan of world literature
to the passionate reader who is just venturing beyond familiar literary shores.
Belletrista acknowledges the early and continuing support, financial and otherwise, of
the Matthew family, The Toadstool Bookshop of Milford, New Hampshire, USA; and the
generosity of many of its writers and advisors.
Contributors in this Issue
Kathleen Ambrogi is an American who has spent most of her life abroad, in Europe,
Africa and Southeast Asia. After earning her M.S. in English Education, she taught
English, Social Science, Art and Information Technology in schools around the world.
Today she is a professional writer, sharing her impressions of cultural forces
through fiction and nonfiction.
Andy Barnes lives in Bristol in the United Kingdom. He is an avid reader on a mission
to discover great writing from as many parts of the globe as possible. Andy works in
one bookshop, and volunteers in another, and when he isn't reading or selling books,
he is usually talking or writing about them.
Clemente du Castel is a French-Texan who has lived in Japan, Spain and Argentina. An aficionado
of languages (fluent in French, Spanish, English and Japanese), she is quick to pick up her suitcases
to travel the globe and explore sites unknown. With her recent M.S. in organic chemistry she currently
travels via books and awaits her next adventure. Her favorite fiction consists of Japanese and Latin
American literature.
Caitlin Fehir is an English teacher living in southern Ontario, Canada.
Her reading tastes change daily, and she is constantly adding to her never-ending list of books
to explore. Her new-found love is traveling, an expensive hobby that is supplemented by seeing
the world through literature.
Akeela Gaibie-Dawood lives in the beautiful city of Cape Town, South Africa. She enjoys
nature and is a keen hiker. She loves books and the written word, and has a Masters degree
in journalism. Her current reading challenge is to visit as many countries around the world,
via books, as possible.
Rachel Hayes is a Brit living in Belgium. She reads a variety of mainly contemporary fiction,
and enjoys seeking out translated fiction from areas of the world her literary travels
haven't taken her to before. She attributes her interest in books written by women to an
early obsession with Little Women, What Katy Did and The Chalet School.
Jana Herlander is a former journalist, occasional poet, and unapologetic bibliophile.
Jane Anderson Jones has been a community college professor of Literature and Humanities for
over 25 years. A resident of Sarasota, Florida, she has edited an anthology of Florida poetry and
has done the usual academic writing and paper presenting. She's beginning to think about retiring to
have more time to read and travel.
Carolyn Kelly is a London-born Irishwoman who lives in Germany and works as a translator,
writer and goatherd, though still saving up for the goats at present. She studied History
in Dublin, which is really no excuse. She has an eclectic taste in reading, but doesn't
like the word eclectic, because of the silly clicking noises it forces the tongue to make.
Very undignified.
Michael Matthew is a scientist with a small company outside of Boston. Outside work, his
reading is usually, but not limited to: nonfiction, current events, poetry or science fiction.
Amanda Meale is a music teacher who loves to read. She lives in Australia.
Darryl Morris is a pediatrician who lives in Atlanta, Georgia (USA). Half of his days are
spent taking care of hospitalized children, and he uses his time off to travel in the US and
abroad, and to attend jazz and classical music concerts, plays, museum exhibits, and author
readings, whenever he isn't reading.
Joyce Nickel is a corporate writer from Vancouver, Canada. When she's not reading or
traveling, she can be found enjoying the outdoor lifestyle of the Pacific Northwest.
Charlotte Simpson lives in London. She reads a wide range of classic and contemporary
fiction written by women and is currently focusing on Africa. She has a Masters degree in
Modern British Women's History.
Barbara Steeg has worked in publishing for over twenty years, and is currently with Highlights
for Children in Columbus, Ohio (USA). While enjoying many different literary genres, she is
particularly enamored with books about the human spirit, identity and the collision of cultures. In addition
to her life‒long love of books, she enjoys music, travel, rock climbing, and contemplating evil.
Dorothy Dudek Vinicombe has had careers in teaching, bookselling, publishing and writing.
Now that she is a freelancer she can do all four at the same time. Living in Auckland, New Zealand,
she can see three volcanoes (hopefully all extinct) from her office window. Books are her favourite
gift—to receive and to give—and she is thrilled that all three of her children are
voracious readers.
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