Friday 24 November, Dr. Reynolds’ international book tour of They Called Him Brother George Portrait of a Caribbean Politician took him to the St. Lucia High Commission in Kensington, London, for the fifth formal book launch of the tour. As has been the case throughout the tour, the London audience was pleasantly surprised that the event was much more than a book launch but a rich, multidimensional cultural exposé. As such they spoke of the experience as educational, inspiring, and uplifting.
This was the third time Dr. Reynolds was having a book event in London (first in 2008 and then in 2017), and each time, it was at the St. Lucia High Commission. Both of the author’s previous visits led him to conclude that the London audience was the most appreciative and supportive audience he has read to. Well, the enthusiastic support of Friday’s audience (everyone insisted on taking a photo with the author) and the passion they displayed for things of St. Lucia, further reinforced this, Dr. Reynolds’, sentiment of the St. Lucian UK diaspora.
According to Dr. Reynolds, it was this kind of support, appreciation, and pride St. Lucian audiences throughout the diaspora displayed during his 2017/2018 international book tour that, upon getting home, moved him to dedicate his life to writing about St. Lucia, capturing St. Lucian history and culture, and giving voice to our voices.
Notwithstanding, Friday’s London Book Launch threw up several pleasant surprises. Bristol University, George Odlum’s alma mater, which in recognition of Odlum’s contributions to the university, in 2004 renamed a room in the students’ union, The Odlum Room, provided special congratulatory and welcoming remarks. Dr. Morgan Dalphinis, a noted St. Lucian educator, linguist, and author of several books, including Caribbean and African Languages Social History, Language, Literature and Education (2023) and History and Language in St. Lucia 1654-1915 (2019), graced the audience with his presence. Mr. Primus Francis, who grew up with Dr. Reynolds in the same neighborhood of Vieux Fort, St. Lucia, held the audience in awe with a rendition of Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World, which was even more compelling than the original. The evening was hosted by none other than celebrated Trading Standards expert and immediate past chair of the UK Chartered Trading Standards Institute, Ms. Tendy Lindsay.
But perhaps the biggest and most pleasant surprise of the evening was the attendance of George Odlum’s eldest child, Ms. Angella Defoe. Naturally, seizing upon the opportunity, the host compelled Ms. Defoe to introduce herself and provide brief remarks. She said that she never met or spoke with her father. But as a child bearing a mirror resemblance to George Odlum, everyone knew who her father was. And it seems her father’s features weren’t all she inherited from him. She must have also inherited his generosity of spirit because, as a lawyer, she has devoted her life to helping the disadvantaged and less fortunate here in the UK and Africa, where she spent many years.
The London Book Launch represents the fifth leg of Dr. Reynolds’ international book tour. The first four legs involved book launches in Vieux Fort, the author’s hometown, and Castries, the capital of St. Lucia, and in New York and Hartford, Connecticut. Besides these formal book launches, as part of the tour, the author has conducted book signings at various venues in St. Lucia and at the New York and Washington DC Jounen Kweyol events.
Encouraged by Friday’s book launch, Dr. Reynolds will be conducting a second book event in London, this time a book reading and signing at 4PM on Saturday 2 December at the Greenlight Youth Club, 223 Bow Rd, Bow, London E3 2SJ. All of the author’s six books will be on hand for purchase. Those who missed out on Friday’s book launch are encouraged to come visit the author and secure autographed copies of his book. And those who were there on Friday should now come along with their friends and family. The timing of the Greenlight Youth Club book reading and signing is perfect because, with the advent of Christmas, Dr. Reynolds’ books would make the perfect gift.
Wednesday, 6 December, Dr. Reynolds heads back to his base in New York and then he heads home on December 11. No sooner than he arrives in St. Lucia, he will be conducting a book promotion and signing at the inaugural Taste of Saint Lucia ARC Edition Business Expo, 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Friday 15th and Saturday 16th December, in Gros Islet opposite the IGY Rodney Bay Marina.
Dr. Reynolds’ international book tour will run into 2024 with stops at several CARICOM countries, as well as stops in Florida, Atlanta, and Toronto.