Born Free

Maria Islands Petition

Laureate's Chair

Tracy Walker UNPLUGGED at The Reef

How sweet does it get when a great musician, on holiday sans guitar, meets a great guitar that had been parked in a dark, dusty corner for 2 years? Tracy Walker UNPLUGGED at The Reef, last Sunday nights, playing our dear friend Kaf's old CJ Martin, and singing some Tracy Walker originals as well as a couple of great cover songs, including The Reef's anthem: "What's Going On" by The Four Non-Blondes! Here is a little video clip of Tracy playing a Bob Dylan song in memory of Kaf who, many moons ago, whilst living in Greece, played this very same guitar on a stage alongside Bob Dylan himself. Check out Tracy's musical work at http://www.tracywalker.com

It's finally here!

The poster speaks for itself ...

The long-awaited HISTORY OF ST LUCIA is finally here, and the phone has been ringing off the hook with congratulations pouring in for Jolien and her co-authors. The shipment cleared customs on the Friday before Christmas so didn't make it into the shops as the great stocking-filler that it would have been, but you can get your own copy at branches of Sunshine Books, Jambe de Bois restaurant at Pigeon Island and of course, The Reef in Vieux Fort. It will be available in many more locations island-wide once new year celebrations are out of the way. Retail price is EC$75.

For those of you who like that sort of thing, here's the official press release:

PRESS RELEASE - 29 December 2011

The first-ever comprehensive history of St Lucia is now in local bookstores. The authors hope it will become a tool for teaching students about their island’s past, as well as providing St Lucians world-wide with a detailed and factual history of their own ancestors’ lives.

“A HISTORY OF ST LUCIA” covers the period from the island’s creation to the passing in 2007 of long serving Prime Minister and “Father of the Nation”, Sir John Compton, the architect of independence.

The 400-plus page book records the island’s geological formation and subsequent Amerindian occupation, through colonization by France and England to the rise and fall of the sugar industry, the tribulations of slavery, the Brigand wars, Emancipation, the struggle for independence, dignity and respectability, the birth of trade unions and political parties, the demise of the sugar industry and the social revolution created by the advent of bananas as an economic emancipator.

The book was originally commissioned by British publisher MacMillan Caribbean, whose efforts to produce it were derailed by the 2008 world economic crisis. However, the three authors decided that such a vitally important book simply could not be abandoned at that stage and, given the tremendous amount of work already put into the project, decided to produce the book themselves.

Principal driving force behind A HISTORY OF ST LUCIA was Dutch-born Jolien Harmsen, who has lived in Vieux Fort since 1994 and holds a PhD in Social History based on research done on the island.

Another author is former Director of the St Lucia National Trust Robert Devaux, who has spent a lifetime promoting the conservation of St Lucia’s natural and cultural heritage and has several published works to his credit.

The trio of authors is rounded off by journalist Guy Ellis, whose career has run side by side with the island’s more recent past and who has written books on St Lucia as well.

An interesting aspect of the content of A HISTORY OF ST LUCIA is the choice of some very unique photographs of developments on the island over the years. For instance, the cover design by Cecile Wiltshire features an uncommon photograph of two local women’s teams playing a cricket match in Castries around 1900.

A HISTORY OF ST LUCIA is published by Lighthouse Road Publications of Vieux Fort. It is already available for sale at the island’s leading bookstores.

(Ends)

Freeing 'Japan'

For 7 months, a dog called 'Japan' lived on board a ship that had been seized on drug charges in the port of Vieux Fort. For all that time, the dog was looked after by a singularly dedicated customs official. With a little help from the St Lucia Animal Protection Society, she was finally released from her round-the-clock guard duties in late August...

Click to view

Watch out, there's a doctor about!

Not many people know Jolien as 'Dr. Harmsen', but there was no getting away from it last week in Soufriere, where she delivered the 11th annual S. Wayne Louis Memorial Lecture. The lecture is one of the leading activities of National Youth month, and is the initiative of the S. Wayne Louis Foundation, in collaboration with the Saint Lucia National Youth Council and the Department of Youth and Sports.

In accepting the invitation, Jolien joined the ranks of noted local and regional scholars and academics such as Professor Hilary Beckles, Barry Chevannes, Dr Tennyson Joseph, Kennedy "Boots" Samuel and Cynthia Barrow - all of whom have made presentations in the lecture series over the years.

The topic, 'The Untold stories and Contributions of Liberated Africans (Neg Djine) in St Lucia' was chosen from a chapter of Jolien's soon-to-be-published work, 'A History of St Lucia' which she co-authored with Guy Ellis, MBE and Robert Devaux, OBE.

The presentation recounted the history of liberated Africans who came to St Lucia as free labourers in the decades following Emancipation, and discussed their impact and influence on contemporary society. Jolien's lecture was enthusiastically received and prompted a lively question-and answer-session.

Prior to the lecture, Ras Isley set the tone for the evening with a rousing cultural presentation featuring drumming and poetry.

The death of Stephen Wayne Louis in 1998 prompted a group of like-minded family, friends and colleagues to establish a foundation in his honour. During his life, Wayne held a passion for African history, community development, youth work, sports and politics and he made valuable contributions to numerous organizations. Central to his diverse interests was his drive for the advancement of African peoples. The S. Wayne Louis Foundation continues on his philosophies, creating the opportunity for St. Lucians to be actively involved in various aspects of the promotion and advancement of African heritage and St. Lucian society.