Gerard van Veen. (HNP photo)
POND ISLAND--Schoolboy in Wartime – Memories of My Early Yearsby Gerard van Veen will be launched at St. Martin Book Fair today, Saturday, at room 102 at University of St. Martin (USM), starting at 11:00am.
The book presentation follows Friday night’s Book Fair opening event at the Motorworld Showroom in Cole Bay, featuring a keynote address by award-winning novelist, short-story writer and human rights advocate Edwige Dandicat from Haiti/United States and the launching of Love-making poems by Fabian Adekunle Badejo.
Saturday’s main Book Fair Day promises to be filled with a wide array of activities between 8:30am and 3:30pm. Scheduled are an exhibition, book sales, signings and various workshops. Young visitors are welcome in the children’s corner and poets will be gathering for an Open Mic event under the gazebo, starting at 12:30pm.
The President’s Forum will be holding a panel discussion about creole language and literature, featuring author, linguist and educator Rhoda Arrindell, award-winning novelist/journalist Earl Lovelace from Trinidad and Tobago and Dandicat. The panel discussion will be led by Badejo.
Schoolboy in Wartime – Memories of My Early Years.
The Schoolboy in Wartime launch includes a free writing workshop by Van Veen, sharing tips for young people and adults about writing their own books about dramatic or traumatic childhood experiences, such as hurricanes, wars, major accidents, migration and immigration.
In his new book, Van Veen recalls family lore and war secrets, discovering where his parents hid resistance guns in the house; his “mission” to the mysterious Mr. Westerman on the “outskirts of town;” being asked as an altar boy to prepare vestments for a Nazi “soldier priest” during the occupation of his neighbourhood; the sudden disappearance of a Jewish citizen who frequented his grandparents’ shop; his father returning from “police action” in the Dutch East Indies, and school days.
The author’s childhood war accounts, mainly in the city of Alkmaar, in the German-occupied Netherlands, are enhanced with photos of Alkmaar men forced to board trucks for work camps in Germany, women in search of food during the “Hunger Winter,” and of the author’s family and school life.
“Gerard van Veen gives contemporary readers a glimpse of a world long gone, and which today provides the content for films and historical novels,” said St. Lucian author, archivist, and Fulbright/Laspau scholar John Robert Lee.
At the book party/writing workshop Van Veen will be introduced by guest speaker Arrindell. Following the presentation/workshop the author will sign books.
House of Nehesi Publisher’s president Jacqueline Sample will be on hand for anyone having questions about publishing an autobiographical or biographical book.
A former Catholic priest, Van Veen is the author of nine books, including Hakuna Matata & Other Stories and Soualiga Catholica. Schoolboy in Wartime is also heading for Van Dorp and Arnia’s bookstores and SPDbooks.org goo.gl/X8yCC4.
The 16th annual St. Martin Book Fair, organized by Conscious Lyrics Foundation in collaboration with St. Maarten Tourist Bureau, Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports, LCF Foundation, NAGICO, Motorworld, USM and SOS radio, will be officially closed at Emilio’s restaurant at Sentry Hill Estate at L.B. Scott Road, tonight, 8:00-10:00.
The event will feature the presentation of The President’s Award and literary evening readings by Nicole Cage, Ruel Johnson, Tamara Groeneveldt, Steve Fols Godet, Max Rippon, Lilita Johnson-Forbes, Sonia Williams, Earl Lovelace and Dandicat.
