They Call Me ...

Local Author’s Day, Reading Central Library

nicknames — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:56:30 +0000

waiting, hoping, looking

I met many local authors on the day and was pleased to take part. I think many readers were doing their Christmas shopping elsewhere although quite a few made it later in the day. It was a Saturday after all:) Remember you can always email me shirley@theycallme.org to order your books.

nicknames — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:17:52 +0000

Enjoying Q & A with guests

Here I am sharing the stories within and behind the creation of They Call Me… at Reading Central Library on 21st Oct. 2011. I was pleased to have lovely guests who were already interested in the topic. Everyone participated and some entertaining stories were shared. I could not have asked for a better evening. Its great when hope, planning and delivery match up. I am feeling very blessed.

Library talk

nicknames — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 11:06:42 +0000

Hope you can join me at Reading Central Library for an evening of stories and chat. Hear about how this book came about and the impact it is having. Share views and ask questions. Looking forward to meeting you on the night.

Interview in Get reading

nicknames — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 11:00:14 +0000

Interview in Get Reading

Looking back at August

nicknames — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 10:46:15 +0000

August often involves holidays and with it, time to reflect on the year so far. It can also be a time to recharge self and replenish energies for upcoming plans.

This year my August included travel, family, conference, publicity and rest.

A relaxing view

Firstly I attended the 2nd diaspora conference in Grenada as part of the London committee. With representatives from Toronto, Washington, New York, Germany and several Caribbean countries it was a brilliant experience. Part of me was also excited to be in the room with so many ambassadors who returned to the island to chair the event and support their diaspora groups. The Prime Minister and 3 Governor Generals (2 are retired) were also present. Lots of talk about islanders and expats working collaboratively, the keywords being “nation building”. Next year’s conference is entitled “Homecoming” and promises to be bigger and better.

I was also on the island launching and promoting my new book. This filled me with excitement and uncertainty. Only the venue for the launch had been booked prior to arriving on the island. Through a lovely friend I was able to secure a couple of interviews, see my time on Spice Morning with Ray Roberts here . Live media is much easier to watch than to do, like real life the conversation can go off in any direction! Trying to launch a book during the carnival season may not be the greatest idea – partying and looking good is priority. There was some success and I have left books in several outlets on Grenada

Looking back at August (part II)

Returning to England felt like coming home for a rest. It had been 2 action packed weeks with meeting lots of new people. Time with family and friends was special and regular visits help to keep these relationships real.

Community is still a real experience in Grenada and you experience it when out and about. Whilst I was there England was experiencing riots and lots of reflection on the causation and meaning of such behaviour. Fortunately none of my relatives have been involved in any way. It will take a while for insightful analysis but it seems to have led to a re-engagement with whole communities and a greater desire for and expectation of participation. I am hopeful that we would have better relationships with each other following this. Carnival in Grenada was fun, colourful and noisy. It comes from traditional ancestral expressions going back to slavery and beyond. Like the local culture it includes African, European and Indian influences. It’s about celebrating identity, freedom and pleasure.

It’s been great to experience Grenada and Notting Hill carnival this month (and Reading Carnival earlier this year). Pics on Facebook page here. I have never played in a costume band and maybe that is something I should experience sometime. For the moment I participate by appreciating the creativity and expressing this through photographing and sharing.

So that was my August, how was yours?

Interview with George Grant, Grenada – August 2011

nicknames — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 10:27:23 +0000

You can listen to my interview by George Grant from 41mins 40 sec (41.40) into his show. Our conversation covers both publications: An A-Z for your life and They Call Me…

Interview with George Grant at grenadabroadcast.com

Please feel free to leave any comments below

Thank you

They Call Me – new video

nicknames — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 11:36:17 +0000

I was so excited to receive edited video from SD publishers -I think they did an excellent job! Let me know what you think by commenting below. Thanks

Book Launch (London) – Saturday 16th July

nicknames — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 11:45:07 +0000

The 3rd annual Grenadian Heritage Day is a great opportunity for anyone who fancies a taste of the Caribbean in London. Whether you have family links with the island or have had a great holiday there then the day is a chance to soak up all that colour and energy. I’ll be there with my new book on Grenadian nicknames – the first and only one on this topic. Drop by for a chat and maybe have your photo taken with the author!

Grenada Heritage Day

nicknames — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 14:11:05 +0000

A day of steelband, spicy food and (hopefully) sunshine