With Sunshine Bookshop closing
down its outlets some years ago,
both writers and readers in Saint
Lucia have suffered from the
fallout of not having a full-fledged
bookshop. However, many moves
have been afoot to rectify that
poetic and prosaic injustice.
encouraging a reading and writing
culture after attending CARIFESTA
XIII in Barbados in 2017 where Saint
Lucia Books participated.
“We want to see the word become
a normal, natural part of people’s
lives,” he said.
Playwright/author, Hayden Forde,
who released his book, Silent Scars
and Other Plays, last November,
which features three of his ten
plays, believes the bookstore is
an excellent idea. He said that
with fewer people reading books
nowadays, the new bookstore is a
big plus for writers to change that
anomaly.
“It’s a home for writers, spoken word
performers, exhibitions, meetings,
and so on,” she said.
A key moment in that crusade
came during Nobel Laureate Week
in 2015 when an extended book
exhibition featuring Saint Lucian
writers was held upstairs Blue Coral
Mall in Castries. It turned out that
the works of over 150 Saint Lucian
writers on display there dropped
some jaws and business has picked
up a bit for the local book sector
ever since.
The setting up of a bookshop is
something that many writers have
been clamouring for since many of
them are forced to sell their books
privately. The local book business is
tough for writers.
Author/economist, Adrian Augier
In December 2018, 758 Café
Littéraire opened in the food court
at Gablewoods Mall in Sunny Acres,
offering its varied catalogue of books.
A delicious menu of teas, local juices
and pastries and open Wi-Fi offer
the best creative environment one
can ask for. Francois says the aim
of the new book café is to position
itself as the premier creative hub for
creative people.
Francois
became
invigorated
to establish a central location
for the books and her dream of
“I was amazed to see the number
of Saint Lucian writers whose works
are on display at this café,” Forde
said. “I think it’s a very positive sign
and hope it gets better.”
Author June Frederick
At 758 Café Littéraire, you can
find titles by Sir Derek Walcott,
McDonald Dixon, John Robert Lee,
Kendel Hippolyte, Vladimir Lucien,
Modeste Downes, Hayden Forde,
and Anderson Reynolds. There’s
also A History of St. Lucia, the first-
ever detailed and comprehensive
record of St. Lucia’s turbulent past.
“We look forward to featuring
other books written by Saint Lucian
writers,” she said. “We also need
to embrace our Caribbean writers
because, especially if we need to
keep afloat, we’ll have to widen
the scope. We’re also asking people
to donate books so that children
particularly can have access to
them.”
The bookstore is appealing to Saint
Lucian writers to have their books
carried by Saint Lucia Books. The
rewards lie in having a homegrown
bookshop that caters to the Saint
Lucian writer having a greater
audience in different spheres.
Thinking about launching your new
book soon? 758 Saint Lucia Books
also specialize in helping you plan
and execute the event seamlessly.
Just contact the hardworking and
dedicated staff early enough and let
them know what you’re looking for.
Recently, Alice Medard launched
her first novel, Silent Screams, at
the Gablewoods Mall location and
the event was epic!
758 Saint Lucia Books also has a
small bookstore in the A.F. Valmont
building on Laborie Street in Castries
and there are plans to have pop-up
shops at various local hotels.
Author/poet/playwright,
Kendel
Hippolyte, said the bookstore at
Gablewoods Mall is a birthing
place for relationships between
writers and the public and hopes
that people will patronize the
bookstore to write, plan events and
to show appreciation for artists by
purchasing their works.
www.slyoumag.com | July-August 2019
758 Saint Lucia Books sells books
on writers’ behalf and pays them
quarterly based on sales, with
the bookstore receiving a small
fee from the writers. Many of the
writers also sell their books online
albeit some readers prefer the feel
of a paperback that they can run
their fingers through and insert a
bookmark at random.
758 Café Littéraire opens Monday
to Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00
p.m.
Go check them out and have a good
read of what’s in their collection.
SL-YOU | Business, People & Lifestyle 67