THERE are a few things that bring you fulfillment in life and one of these is reaching an intended goal. I must say I am proud to be a member of the Saint Lucia Writers Forum. We get things done! Well, it had been a while now Ashanti Prescott had a dream to publish a Kwéyôl anthology. This author is fascinated by this land where he was born so much so that he wrote his first book entitled “238 Square Miles Submerged in Fascination”. He is fascinated by its language as well. No, not English. That ain’t ours! Kwéyòl. Not creole or patois!
He is also fascinated by the female anatomy as well. Yes, Ashanti has a lot of fascinations and I think writing is one of them. It has to be. I met Ashanti there. He is a Forum stalwart. Of the members I met there, he is the one of only two, still standing. Last year when we first published, the Kwéyòl anthology, Ashanti boasted that he had enough kwéyòl poems to fill a book; little did he know that we would have taken him up on his ranting. So we put it to him in short order, not too long ago, that to continue our legacy of publishing a kwéyòl anthology that he would be our scapegoat since many of us had not done any kwéyòl writing. So we started the milling and the drilling. The machinery of the anthology committee needed to be oiled. Ashanti felt its pressure. Deadlines to be kept! Standards to be met. Obstacles to overcome. But we did it. When people put their heads together there is little that cannot be achieved.
ISNB on the back of the book, hidden talents displayed on the frontal design, local art gracing the cover, courtesy Marvin Anthony, Stardust’s Madras decorating the walls, decorations of fleek, thanks to Sherma, tables are set and Shan’s sandwiches and Bay Garden’s quiche are asking for the event to be over in a jiffy. Just before seven we are finding the right placement to display the original painting that covered the book. By seven the hall is just about packed. We’re ready to start but we have trouble accessing the audio of the kwéyòl version of the national anthem. Well, we could not delay the start any longer. Disappointingly we had to sing out the English stanzas. I have always said the anthem is too long but having successfully executed them with everyone in the audience singing, I knew we were in for a successful evening.
I thought that the night belonged to Ashanti but indeed it belonged to all who were in attendance. I think all his brethren and sistrens were in attendance and Barre St Joseph and Ti Colon were empty Tuesday night. Wow! The support was overwhelming. The editor took to the podium in grand style, mic well adjusted to his grand stature. He had become one with the work. He had obviously entered the writer’s mind. I think he was as affected about the many potholes in our roads as the author was. He praised the endeavour and hoped that next year there would be a plethora of kwéyòl anthologies coming out. As the emcee you sometimes miss out on a few things but if I am right, I think that Pastor Wulstan Charles made an adamant appeal for kwéyòl to be taught in schools.
As for the writer’s work you will have to judge it for yourself but it was true to the title. Themes of faith and love resonated and mizi listwa, mwen di’w, from Vat Attack to making love in the streets of Castries to allowing the Spirit, no not Bounty, to influence men’s hearts. Now support the artistes when he is alive. He can’t use the money when he is dead. Surely, I wish that this event will really be what it was in name, a launch. Surely a writer can sell a hundred books in Saint Lucia. Right? But for Ashanti, mwen ni lafwa i kay van plisyè san liv. So go get your copy of Lamou èvèk Lafwa, épi Mizi Listwa and let us ask Printzone to print another batch.
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“want for your brother, what you want for yourself”(Prophet Muhammad)
Kensley,
This was such a magnificent article written by you, and your magnanimity was simply overwhelming.
Sold!