Creative Leaps

(Click on link to see Maureen's interview with Allison on TIC Channel 4 in Trinidad) Q: One T&T reviewer, Debbie Jacob, likens your work to the magical realism of Wilson Harris, who is also Guyanese. Have you read him and has he influenced your style? A: In my early youth I read a couple of Wilson Harris' books and loved them, and later devoured Gabriel Garcia Marquez's. I am not conscious of any direct influence of their styles on my writing, but these are authors whose works appealed to me. I must re-read Harris! Q: What's the 'read for pleasure' culture like these days in Guyana? A: It’s an uphill battle to get young coastal Guyanese to read books. Only books that have become popular movies stir our youth’s interest. In fact one question I got quite a few times on my visits to schools was, ‘When is the movie coming out?’ People in the hinterland, on the other hand, don’t have the same ease of access to the latest DVDs, television programming, computer a

Guitarman, Bookman, Familyman...Gerald Hausman, Island Fiction author of Time Swimmer has written over 70 published books, thirty-something of which have received literary prizes and awards. Meet the MAN himself in this 7min piece - View, Rate, Share on YOU TUBE, then read Time Swimmer and pass it on!

"Alex came to me in a dream..." says author of Legend of the Swan Children, Maureen Marks Mendonca about her main character, on Trinidad's CH 4 with Allison Hennessey.

Below are comments from trainees of the Adolescent Development Programme, ADP (Apr. – Jul. 09) attached to the Chaguanas Regional/Hi-Tech. Centre, Servol -Mtima Abdul Ghany (tutor) (SPOILER ALERT- the statements that follow reveal vital story-ending plot info.) Escape from Silk Cotton Forest by Francis Escayg “The book was a very amazing and interesting book; I would recommend everybody read it. The best part of the book was the ending when the sunshine from the sun hit his necklace and then hit Rhe, raising her from the dead.” Joshua Santana “The book was very interesting. I would advise anyone to read it. I am looking forward to reading the rest in the series.” Yannick Cherrie “This was the only book I have read in my life and it was the best. The book was very interesting; it dealt with war, freedom and the best of all, love and friendship. The best piece of the book was in the last chapter when the sun hit the diamond around Domino’s neck and it made Rhe come back to life and they

Island Fiction titles make Trinidad Guardian's Debbie Jacob's Top Ten fiction list for readers aged 9 to 14 starting from the number 6 spot and pushing the list to 11! Here's a peek - click on title link for full article. 6. The Island Fiction Series—It’s difficult to single out one book from this series that includes The Chalice Project, Legend of the Swan Children, Escape from Silk Cotton Forest, Time Swimmer, Night of the Indigo, and Delroy in the Marog Kingdom. Each book reflects the Caribbean setting that Trinidadian children need to see in their stories.

READ ALL ABOUT IT! Click on Macmillan's Caribbean Dream - Island Fiction featured in today's Publishing Perspectives, an international online newsletter and contributor to Publishers Weekly.

READ ALL ABOUT IT! Click on for: How to Sell Island Fiction to Islanders

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http://www.swanislandhome.com/ From Debbie Jacob, Trinidad Guardian columnist, published author of middle grade fiction "Legend of the St. Ann's Flood"(Macmillan), series editor of Macmillan's CXC English Literature Study Companions and librarian at the International School of Port-of Spain (ISPS): Joanne, I think you did a marvelous job of editing the Island Fiction series. I like each book for different reasons, but I think I am most excited about Legend of the Swan Children. The author has managed to offer young people a novel very much in the magical realist style of Wilson Harris, who is the greatest novelist to come out of the Caribbean. I thought t was uncanny how much it reminded me of Wilson Harris's work. Very original, but very much in the tradition of Harris. Wilson Harris's magical realism predates - by 15 years! - Gabriel Garcia- Marquez, who gets most of the credit for magical realism. Everyone in the Caribbean claims they can't under

Corporate sponsorship is a great way to get your books into the hands of your reading fans. Venture Credit Union has a special relationship with SERVOL LIfe Centre in Chaguanas. When I visited Venture's Head Office with my "Bag of Books", I found there was enthusiasm to expose and enrich the Servol students to my work as a children's book author as a part of their Career Guidance program. Through Venture's generosity I was able to hand each teen a copy of an Island Fiction title, (why give them a children's book when IF was hot off the press?!). I encouraged them to read then swap, purchase others at RIK stores and/ or ask for IF! titles at their neighborhood libraries so they could cover all six! I have been able to tour the length and breadth of Trinidad with my own children's books through the kind sponsorship of Nestle Trinidad in 2006 and 2007 during which time they pre-purchased 1,000 books which I distributed as gifts to the children after my read

Last Friday, 26th, June 2009, I was invited to facilitate a career guidance workshop at a SERVOL LIfe Centre in Chaguanas in Trinidad. SERVOL provides alternative education for our teens, teaching them a trade (welding etc) and helping with finding on the job training, apprenticeships etc. Island Fiction was a hit as before and Time Swimmer is so culturally relevant RIGHT NOW (see Ch. 1 Time Swimmer) since results for the new SEA exam (once the Common Entrance) were published on Thursday, the day before the workshop, and was/ still is on the tip of every tongue and in the media. Two students in the audience of 45 teenagers (14 to 19) were named Luke and Govinda - just like in the book! It was a stroke of serendipity that I wanted to share - as life, with such moments, authors our delight. It is easy to think that reading aloud for 'children' old enough to grow beards and bear children themselves would be a waste of time - NOT SO! The students were awakened it seemed during t