We're more than Books

Congratulations to our own Kaci Hamilton whose photography hobby has earned her a spot as a finalist in the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission's National Visual Arts competition 2008. Her photograph The Longest Line taken in Katmandu, Nepal, will be on exhibit at the National Gallery of Jamaica from July 13 to 27 when the awards will be announced.

Kaci is a member of our editorial team and can be contacted at editorial2@ianrandlepublishers.com.

Another great launch

Business in BIM was launched in Barbados on Monday June 16. Our Chairman and Publisher, Ian Randle was at the event which was very successful and proceedings went without a hitch. There were well over 100 guests present made up mostly of business leaders and quite a few academics from the UWI. Earlier in the day the author Henderson Carter was interviewed on "Good Morning Barbados" the local Breakfast TV programme. The Prime Minister, the Hon. David thompson who gave the feature address and launched the book was generous in his comments both about the book as well as IRP and stayed on for a very long time mingling with guests. Our author was very pleased.

Look out for us in Barbados again on Monday June 23 when we'll be at the launch of our newest book off press Truly a Gentleman: The Right Excellent Sir Hugh Worrell Springer

Don't you Agree?

On June 5, 2008 our Chairman and Publisher Ian Randle gave the feature address at the launch of Diane Browne's new book The Ring and the Roaring River. His comments were picked up the by the Gleaner Newspaper and published in the June 11 edition.

Reading should be compulsory and tested

Wednesday June 11, 2008

A leading publisher has suggested that the Government make the reading of books in grades four to six compulsory and then test students on them at the end of each grade.
Ian Randle, president of Ian Randle Publishing Limited, said this would improve literacy and encourage reading habits in the society.
"What if we were to introduce a reading/comprehension component into the GSAT (Grade Six Achievement Test) programme that required all children preparing for the GSAT to read and be tested on one book for each of their grade four, five, and six years?" Randle asked recently, while addressing the launch of the novel The Ring and the Roaring Water by Diane Browne.
"And what if by answering a few simple questions at the end of each of those years, to ensure that they had in fact read the book, they were to be guaranteed a small percentage of the total marks towards the final exam, what would be the likely impact on literacy and the reading habit?" Randle continued to ask rhetorically.
A benefit to writers
He noted that this would also benefit writers, who would get a guarantee that 50,000 copies of their books would be sold if they were chosen.
Randle said, while there were logistical challenges, this suggestion would require little or no additional financial outlay on the part of the state, since the acquisition of those books should be entirely borne by parents and students who already happily purchase the "superfluous and often useless practice and test books".
Meanwhile, as a means of encouraging the local writing and production of books and the promotion and preservation of local history and culture, Randle suggested the Government could, on an annual basis, set aside a sum to purchase 2,000 to 3,000 copies of newly, locally published books by authors.
"I put it to you that in money terms, the allotment would actually be quite small but the spin-off benefits are immediately obvious for all to see," he told the gathering.

We continue our feature interview by Publisher Ian Randle with author Fred Kennedy on his forthcoming work Daddy Sharpe: A Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Samuel Sharpe, A West Indian Slave, Written by Himself

IR: You are not known as either a historian or a fiction writer. Who is Fred Kennedy and how did your background, training and experiences prepare or qualify you to undertake this ambitious work?

FK: You are correct, I’m none of those things although my confidence has been bolstered by the backing I received from the professional historians; advice from friends and colleagues and first class editing. The consciousness and sensitivity that led me to undertake this work were first awakened when I took my first degree in History and English at the UWI Mona campus and came under the influence of persons like Eddie Baugh, Kamau Brathwaite, Elsa Goveia, Ken Ramchand and others. Then, as a teacher I had a stint at Trench Town Comprehensive High School where I faced the challenge of getting underprivileged children from the inner city to achieve.Later after taking my Masters and Doctorate degrees in Education at the University of Toronto I returned to Jamaica as Principal of St. George’s College (2004-2006) where I achieved with teachers, parents and students, more than modest success in moving a school in crisis to be one of the top national achievers in terms of CXC results in English and Mathematics. So writing this book has been a process and I feel satisfied with the end result.

IR: As a first time author what has the experience been like working with a publisher? Is there any advice you would give other would-be authors seeking to have their works published?

FK: The most difficult part of the process for me was signing the contract because it gave me the feeling that I was surrendering something that was mine to another party.But as I developed a relationship of trust with the publisher I became less and less fearful especially as it became clear that they too held respect for the work and clearly wanted to preserve its integrity.To other writers I would say:
· Work with the publisher from as early a stage as possible
· Get personally involved in all efforts to enhance the quality and appeal of the work
· Seek the advice and endorsement of other writers especially those with established reputations · Be sensitive and responsive to criticism of your work from critics and professional editors

IR: Now that DADDY SHARPE is behind you is there anything else in the pipeline? Where do you go from here?

FK: I have a notion to do a book that focuses on the early Spanish colonial period in Jamaica and their relationship with the indigeneous Taino people. The story would be about one of the Caciques and how he led the resistance to the Spanish.The approach would be similar to DADDY SHARPE.I have already begun extensive research as part of this project.

IR: If readers (especially researchers and students) wanted to contact you for information, advice or simply to discuss aspects of the book, how might they reach you?

FK: I now live between Canada and Jamaica but can easily be reached by e-mail. I have created a special e-mail address to facilitate this. It is daddysharpe2008@yahoo.ca.
I also have plans to create a special web site but that is to come.

Daddy Sharpe - Part 1

Fred Kennedy's Daddy Sharpe: A Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Samuel Sharpe, A West Indian Slave written by Himself is due off press in July.

This is no dull historical biography. In this 2 part interview with his publisher Ian Randle, author and former St Georges College Principal, Fred Kennedy explains why he took the unusual approach to tell the Sam Sharpe story as part autobiography and part fiction.


IR: Fred, who is DADDY SHARPE and why is the story of his life important?

FK: Daddy Sharpe is the name by which Sam Sharpe one of Jamaica’s seven National heroes was known.The designation of “Daddy”signified a position of leadership in the Baptist Church and the respect with which he was held by other leaders of the church.Sam Sharpe is of course best known for the leadership role he played in what has become known as the ‘Christmas Rebellion’ of 1831 involving tens of thousands of slaves from the five western parishes of Jamaica. While there were numerous rebellions throughout the slavery period in Jamaica and elsewhere in the Caribbean the 1831 rebellion led by Sam Sharpe was different in that it was conceived as a peaceful stoppags of work rather than an outright plan to kill and destroy. The concept of a slave withdrawing his labour was a unique one, in a sense taking on the element of a labour movement which would be the first in Jamaica’s history. But perhaps more important is the fact that most historians attribute the Christmas Rebellion as giving momentum to the passing of the Abolition Act passed a couple years later ending slavery in the British colonies.

IR: Until he gained significance as leader of the Christmas Rebellion, details of the early part of Sam Sharpe’s life have remained sketchy; does this work shed any clearer light on his life?

FK: Well we know he was born into slavery around 1801 at Coopers Hill in St. James into the Sharpe family who were relatively small landowners. The closest present day landmark would be the site of the Cornwall Regional Hospital just outside Montego Bay. He was a favoured slave and was thus given the opportunity to read and write giving him access to the Bible but also to the anti-slavery writings of persons like Robert Wedderburn.This in turn, gave him the leadership skills and explains his involvement in the Baptist Church.

IR: You have chosen a fascinating and difficult method of telling the Sam Sharpe story. It is part biography, part history, and strung together in Sam Sharpe’s own words through imaginative leaps of fiction.Why did you not simply write a factual historical account?

FK: I chose to do this simply because they are so many gaps in our historical knowledge of Sharpe’s life. I was influenced by the slave narratives of Fredrick Douglass, Equiano and by the life story of Nat Turner which have all been very successful. I wanted to adopt Sharpe’s persona and to give him a voice which I thought would be more effective for the reader.

IR: How much historical research did you have to do and how long did the entire process take up to completion of the manuscript?

FK: The entire project from beginning to end lasted for about six years, three to four of which involved the actual research. Much of the initial research was done at the University of Toronto and later in the Special Collections of the UWI library at Mona, the Institute of Jamaica and through site visits to various estates including Croydon where Sam Sharpe was actually the Head Slave. My research also took me to revivalist meetings and involved many hours of taped interviews. Secondary sources were also important. I consulted works by people like Devon Dick and Kamau Brathwaite both of whom had researched the British Parliamentary Papers and got valuable advice from Swithin Wilmot of the UWI History department. The late Shirley Gordon was especially helpful in coaching me to capture with some authenticity Sam Sharpe’s voice.

IR: Did your research unearth any previously undocumented facts about Sam Sharpe?

FK: No, I cannot make such a claim. What I can say however is that it provides fresh insights into Sam Sharpe’s character and allows different interpretations of the period. We can ask the question for example”Why did Sam Sharpe turn himself in? “ “ What was the role of the other Baptist Ministers in the Rebellion and how did they view Sam Sharpe?” “ Was he the sacrificial lamb for others involved in the rebellion?”.

IR: Has the research and actual writing changed your perceptions or opinions of Sam Sharpe?

FK: When I embarked on this work, I wanted to tell a Jamaican story and I felt that of all the national heroes, Sam Sharpe represented a story of hope and victory of how oppressed people can overcome odds. I believe Sam Sharpe looms large in Jamaica’s history and while I don’t necessarily want to ascribe the title of martyr to his actions, it was as if Sam Sharpe saw his own execution as necessary to secure the freedom of his people. Nothing in the Sam Sharpe story is negative and although he was an ordinary man everyone spoke with admiration about him. I believe that if students and young people in general understood the qualities of a Sam Sharpe -audacity, bravery, hope, sacrifice-to name a few, they would have greater respect for our heroes and have a greater sense of purpose.

The Launch that Was

On an overcast but sunny morning, about 150 guests gathered on the lawns of Jamaica House on Sunday June 1, to celebrate the publication of The Manley Memoirs with Beverley Manley. The mimosas flowed, the music was easy listening and the good vibes were unending. Surrounded by family, friends, colleagues and and well-wishers, Beverley thanked all of her supporters including all of 'her' children, the Manley children, Natasha and David, Rachel, Jo and Sara. Only Rachel could not attend.

Veteran actress and broadcasting colleague Leonie Forbes steered the proceedings along, Dr. Glenda Simms gave the feature address praising Beverley for her contribution in giving a voice to the role of women in society, and Della Manley thrilled guests with her stirring music. The formal programme was rounded out by our MD Christine Randle's closing remarks on the unprecedented response to the book.

Leonie Forbes

Beverley with Bob Marley's widow, Rita Marley

Beverley with fellow former first lady Mitsy Seaga

Della Manley

Dr Glenda Simms