Author, journalist and motivational speaker Wendy Coakley-Thompson, of Bahamian ancestry herself, launched Duho Books in September to bring the underrepresented authors and stories of the Bahamas to the world stage.
The name Duho is a nod to the Bahamas' pre-European past, when chiefs (called caciques) were elevated on wooden ceremonial seats, or duhos. Today, Coakley-Thompson hopes that Duho Books will result in the elevation of the Bahamian experience to a higher level of awareness through the promotion of Bahamian authors and the distribution of their written words.
I had a chance to interview Wendy to learn more.
Why is Bahamian Culture so often overlooked?
WCT: I honestly don’t know. I suspect that many other island nations in the West Indies have already established a more dominant footprint, in terms of disseminating their culture. Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago come immediately to mind. From reggae, to calypso, to Carnival, the cultural artifacts of those nations are quite ubiquitous. Bahamians, I find, don’t bang their drums loudly. I think making a bigger noise will require more evangelizing about the Bahamas and Bahamian culture, which is what I’m striving to do with Duho Books.
What are some examples of Bahamian influence?
WCT: The Bahamas and people of Bahamian descent are more omnipresent than people realize. For example, the Oscar-winning actor Sidney Poitier is of Bahamian descent, and he’s been a commanding presence for years. The late actress Roxie Roker of The Jeffersons fame was also of Bahamian descent; her son, rocker Lenny Kravitz, does his best to help represent Bahamian culture. You also have influences from sports, most recently Shaunae Miller, who won track and field gold in the 400-meters in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics. Guitarist and folk singer Joseph Spence should be just as popular as Baha Men are. The Bahamas shines even in more subtle ways. For example, practically every underwater scene in a James Bond film was shot in beautiful blue Bahamian oceans. Even the swimming pigs of Exuma are gaining a following! Bahamian influence on global culture has been quite subtle. At Duho Books, we’re doing our part to dial up the volume on the culture by showing its many facets via the written word.
What are some unique traits of Bahamian literature?
WCT: This is a broad question. I would say, though, that much of the Bahamian literature that I have read explores the experiences and residual aspects of The Bahamas having been a British colony, now searching to find its own voice as an independent nation. Much literature explores elements of Bahamian culture at large, for example, Junkanoo music, folk tales, and the spiritual realm. Finally, many Bahamian authors write in Bahamian dialect. Duho Books hopes to examine such elements of Bahamian literature in its future offerings.
As a boutique, independent publisher, Duho plans to publish 12, carefully selected books annually. To coincide with its September launch, Duho released three titles:
• The 15th anniversary edition of Back to Life, by Wendy Coakley-Thompson, is an interracial love story between a black woman and an Italian-American man set against the backdrop of the charged political climate during New York City's mayoral race between David Dinkins, an African-American Democrat, and Rudolph Giuliani, a law-and-order Republican.
• My Name is Karma, the debut novel by Bahamian psychologist N. A. Cash, introduces readers to Karma, a young woman who struggles with the power and complexities of her supernatural gifts as she journeys on a voyage of self-discovery. Cash's training as a psychologist powerfully informs her ability as a writer to expose the inner life of her characters.
• The Lights of Home, the debut title from Marin Frederique, is an enticing romance novel filtered through the prism of the beauty of the Bahamas that explores the many forms of love and its power to heal, restore and transform the body, mind and soul.
Duho Books founder Wendy Coakley-Thompson is the author of Writing While Black, Triptych, Back to Life (2004 Romantic Times Award nominee), and What You Won't Do For Love (optioned for cable television). An experienced journalist and blogger based in the Washington, D.C., area, she has written for Examiner.com as the D.C. Publishing Industry Examiner and has penned articles for Postscript'd, the Grio and Washington Independent Review of Books. She also serves up commentary in her Writing While Blog. She has co-hosted the radio show The Book Squad and earned an Associated Press/Chesapeake Award for her work as a commentator for Metro Connection on WAMU, a Washington, D.C., National Public Radio affiliate.
N.A. Cash, Bahamian author and Miss Earth Bahamas 2005, channels supernatural suspense through fiction. Cash, a self-described extraverted introverted psychologist, spins tales that merge her own vivid imagination with narratives inspired by her decades-long analysis of mysterious internal worlds of individuals encountered through her practice.
Author Marin Frederique writes fiction that explores the many forms of love and its power to heal, restore and transform the body, mind and soul. This exploration is filtered through the prism of the beauty of the Bahamas and highlights the interwoven contributions of the many ethnicities that produce the bold tapestry of Bahamian life and culture. Fluent in Spanish, Frederique is particularly fascinated by the ways in which the proximity of her ancestral home to the southern United States and Cuba influences the lives of Bahamians, resulting in interesting relationships and compelling geopolitics.
For more information about Duho books and the authors, please visit:
www.duhobooks.com
www.wendycoakley-thompson.com
www.AuthorNACash.com
www.marinfrederique.com
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