New Bermuda Book: Freedom’s Flames
The second book in the ‘Icon Series’ has been released by Colwyn Burchall Jr. – “Freedom’s Flames: Slavery in Bermuda and The True Story of Sally Bassett.”
The book, which is aimed at younger readers, was written by Bermudian Colwyn Burchall Jr, who presently divides his time between freelance writing and working as a stay-at-home dad to his two year-old son. He holds degrees in Philosophy and Literacy Education from Mount Saint Vincent University, in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
This is the second book of the series to be published, after “Look for Me in the Whirlwind: A Story of Marcus Garvey,” which was released in December 2009. The third book of the series, “Dame Lois: Mother of the Nation” is tentatively scheduled for release in 2011.
Mr Burchall said “This effort is really about all of us. I created the Icons Series because I honestly believe that our homespun history matters and should never be forgotten. Dr. Gordon is hugely important, as are Dame Lois and Dr. Ball. There are many lessons that our young people can learn through a comprehensive study of their struggles, triumphs and challenges. Ultimately, my aim is to build a bridge linking Bermudian children, the word and the world that they will help to shape in ways that are meaningful, entertaining and empowering.”
“The concept for the Icons Series was inspired by my years as a Reading Specialist in the Bermuda public school system. My students would often ask me why they were required to read about people from all over the world but were rarely, if ever, given the opportunity to explore literature that was specific to their history and experiences here on the island. To put it simply, our children let me know that they wanted to learn about their own rich and storied heritage, as chronicled in the lives of Bermuda’s most illustrious heroes and heroines.”
“The books in the Icons Series are written for young readers between eleven and eighteen years of age (M1 – S4), whereas almost all of the other Bermuda-specific texts appear to be written for an adult audience. That said, I am certain that my books will also be a valuable resource for any adult with an interest in the rich heritage of our island.
Look for Me in the Whirlwind has been used in the classroom (at St. George’s Prep) and at every stage of its development, Freedom’s Flames benefitted from the creative input of young people.”
“Under the watchful eye of Language Arts teacher Ms. Tonisha Key-Holmes, S-1 students of the Berkeley Institute read and wrote book reports on the early drafts of what eventually became Freedom’s Flames. They also made suggestions that greatly improved the final product. The illustrations were done by the ultra-talented artist, Ché Caines (view his work on Facebook under ‘Ché Caines: Teen Artist’. Phenomenal stuff!) and the eye-catching layout was the work of a young graphic designer named Quinton Burgess. Seventeen year-old Kiaaron Minks sat before the members of Cabinet and spoke eloquently about the need to have books like those in the Icons Series available as learning resources in the classroom and S-1 Berkeley Institute student Waverley Moran wrote a powerful review of Freedom’s Flames that belied her tender years. So I guess that you could say that this book owes its ‘birth’ as much to my efforts as it does to the contributions of these young Bermudians!”
“I decided to create the Icons Series in order to fill a void in the learning experience of Bermudian children. The shocking dearth of Bermuda-specific reading materials that are aimed at the island’s youth provides compelling support for the publication of groundbreaking texts such as Freedom’s Flames. Over the next ten years, I intend to write books on Mary Prince, Dame Lois Browne-Evans, Dr. Barbara Ball, the Progressive Group, Dr. Pauulu Kamarakafego and Dr. E.F. Gordon. Each of these books will come with learning resource materials that are aligned with the dictates of the Cambridge curriculum. In the final analysis, I am hopeful that the Ministry of Education will see fit to incorporate the texts into classrooms and libraries around the island.”
Freedom’s Flames is available for purchase at the Bermuda Bookstore, the Bookmart and the People’s Pharmacy. Mr Burchall will also be available to personally autograph copies of the book during a book signing which will take place this coming Friday [Dec 17] from 6:00p.m – 9:00p.m. at the Bookmart.
You can join the ‘Icon Series’ page on Facebook here.
