Saint Vincent and the Grenadines embassy donates books to Taiwan’s National Central Library
In a ceremony on Thursday, the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines embassy in Taiwan presented 11 books and literary works to the National Central Library.
According to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ambassador Andrea Bowman, the donation is a key component of the Platform for the Promotion and Enhancement of English Language and English Literature in Taiwan. The platform was created in 2021 by Taiwan’s English-speaking Caribbean allies to “contribute to the Taiwanese government’s push to attain bilingualism with English and Mandarin by the year 2030,” she explained.
According to Bowman, the donation of books, all penned by Vincentians, is an excellent way for Taiwanese to “truly understand” their Caribbean ally of nearly 42 years.
“One of our embassy’s aims is to ensure that the Taiwanese see, hear, and understand Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,” Bowman added. “It introduces Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the English-speaking Caribbean (region) to the Taiwanese public more than anything else,” she noted.
According to Bowman, the selected works are “wide-ranging” and cover a variety of topics appropriate for both young and adult readers.
The ambassador stated that she intends to establish a reading room at the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines embassy by February 14 in order to “attract and exhibit major English works for our audience in Taiwan.”
Bowman stated that the books will feature works by Vincentian authors as well as other English-language publications. She hopes that people will “come in, relax, and read” in the reading room.
Bowman believes that people are spending less time reading quietly and reflectively, “which allows you time to interact with the authors.”
The eleven books selected include:
“Diary of a Prime Minister” and “Our Caribbean Civilisation and Its Political Prospects” by Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves
“Honey and Lime” and “Shape of a Warrior” by Peggy Carr
“James Mitchell Beyond The Islands” by former Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister James Mitchell
“The Green Legacy of St. Vincent and the Grenadines-the King’s Hill Forest Act of 1791 and the St. Vincent Botanic Garden” compiled by Permanent Ambassador to the United Nations Inga Rhonda King
“Doctor Grandad: A Caribbean Doctor and His Little Patients and Family” by Dr. Cecil Cyrus
“Call It Our Village” by Margaret Soleyn
“Flippity Floppity Wing” by Hayden Billingy
“Nia’s Summer Vacation in the Caribbean” by Danielle Fairbairn-Bland
“Global Wings Flying to St. Vincent and the Grenadines” by Dr. Michelle Huang of the Global Cultural Initiative of Yuan Ze University and Nicketha Toney, a Vincentian student of Yuan Ze University
