Manmay LaKay Magazine Issue 2 April 2018 | Page 52

Nothing in life comes easy and I assume it wasn't smooth sailing. Did you encounter any challenges publishing these books? If so, what were they and how did you overcome them? Fortunately, I did not encounter any insurmountable obstacles publishing the books. I felt very strongly that I wanted to use St. Lucian artists to illustrate the stories.   I was able to partner with two very talented St. Lucians who each did one book. There were, however, some challenges with their production timelines, so we had to enlist the assistance of a Brazilian artist to complete some of the books. My partner and I worked together meticulously to be certain that we were creating a quality product. [Whispering] He deserves most of the publishing credit though. We decided to self- publish because we did not want this project to be just another commercial venture to make money for big publishing companies.   Ah! I see. Your secret is safe with me by the way lol. Are the books in every school library in St.Lucia and around the Caribbean yet?   Even at the basic cost price of producing the books, we found that many schools in St. Lucia do not have a budget to purchase books for their libraries. We have donated books to several schools, and are actively seeking sponsorships to provide books  to St. Lucian schools and children, who may not be able to afford even the basic cost price.     Which is why you're soliciting donations to help donate books to the libraries in St. Lucia. This is remarkable and such a wonderful initiative. Where can donations be made?   We've set up a GoFundMe page and we're asking any St. Lucian who can afford to help with this project by donating at, https://www.gofundme.com/lucian- stories-for-st-lucian-kids.   What are your hopes for this series?     Our culture is what defines us and gives us a sense of identity. It is what sustains us. It is the foods we eat, the clothes we wear, the way we speak, the music we listen to, our celebrations, our values-our culture makes us who we are. So my hope is that St. Lucians (children and adults) both at home and those living in the diaspora will read the Wyetta series and learn to nurture their cultural selves through indigenous literature.