St. Martin Talk by Robert Romney has just been published here, in time for the 9th annual St. Martin Book Fair, June 2-4, said Jacqueline Sample, president of House of Nehesi Publishers (HNP).
St. Martin Talk is a handbook of "words, phrases, sayings and general communication terms that are normal or traditional to the St. Martin way of speaking," said Sample.
A Guadeloupe-based educator, Romney worked in Marigot from 2007 to 2010 as representative of the Rector of the Academy of Guadeloupe for the collectivities of St. Martin and St. Barth’s. He compiled and wrote the book during his 2007-2010 tenure.
St. Martin Talk will also be presented at the book fair’s opening ceremony at the Chamber of Commerce Building in Marigot, said book fair coordinator Shujah Reiph. Each year the opening program of the book fair alternates between both capitals of the "Friendly Island."
"The St. Martin Book Fair opens with St. Martin Talk on June 2, and closes with Yvette’s cook book on June 4," said Reiph.
"Introducing two such books to our nation in one festival is a St. Martin celebration, a real cultural gift to inspire and nourish the mind, body, and soul," said Reiph. Both books were released this week by HNP.
With the 2011 book fair theme of "Freedom of Expression" there may be a general match in the newest book’s chapters. The chapters are entitled "Words & Phrases," "Proverbs & Aphorisms," and "Verbs & the notion of Aspect in St. Martin English." The first two parts are the compiled data, said Sample.
Chapter 3 of St. Martin Talk was written by Romney in French and English, as a preliminary guide to especially French-language teachers, to better understand and teach children who speak "St. Martin English" in and out of the classroom, said Sample.
The humorous cartoons by Gina Rombley in Chapter 1 "make a light and welcome compliment to the complexities of the language situation in both parts of our island, where English is the historical and traditional language identity of the St. Martin people," said Sample.
The author of St. Martin Talk was born in Great Bay (Philipsburg) and reared in Marigot. Romney is also an alumnus of University of the Antilles and Guyane and the University of Bordeaux.
The 9th annual St. Martin Book Fair is organized by Conscious Lyrics Foundation and House of Nehesi Publishers in collaboration with the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau, the Collectivity of St. Martin, and the University of St. Martin.