Skip to main content

Duho Books: Embodying a Cultural Past, With a Metaphor for a Bright Literary Future

DL: Hello everyone! It’s my pleasure to introduce guest blogger, Wendy Coakley-Thompson, President of Duho Books, a boutique press based in the Washington, D.C. area. Wendy will talk about her writing career and her journey into the publishing world.
WCT: Hi Dee. Thanks much for the opportunity. When I talk to people about Duho Books, my new Washington DC boutique publishing company that showcases the vibrant history, culture, and people of The Bahamas, I immediately prepare myself for the barrage of questions.  Questions like “What’s a ‘duhu’?” “Why would you publish books about The Bahamas?”  “Does The Bahamas even have a literary tradition?”  In answering such questions, I find that it helps to return to the past for the answers.
            In the summer of 2016, I’d been musing deeply about my writing career—or what was left of it. Since 2002, when I’d become a serious published author, I’d made myriad attempts at hacking the publishing industry. I’d self-published my first novel, Back to Life, a novel about life and interracial love in the aftermath of the 1989 shooting of Yusuf Hawkins, a black teen, by Italian Americans in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. That novel helped me to get an agent, who secured me a two-book deal with Kensington Books. I thought, “This is it! I’ve made it to The Show.”
            Unfortunately, I believe that Big Publishing didn’t know what to do with a literary platypus like me. My books featured relationships, but they weren’t your typical romance novels. I wanted to feature foreign locales and experiences in my fiction that reflected my Bahamian-American multicultural heritage; editors cautioned me against it, for fear of alienating potential audiences.  I was marketed as part of the new African American literature renaissance, but I also wished to widen my audience to reflect the universality of the human experience. Before long, Kensington dropped me after two books. In 2014, I ended up suing them over copyright infringement, but I digress…
            In the ensuing post-Kensington years, I self-published two novels—Triptych and Writing While Black. In my quest to understand the literal and figurative business end of publishing, I co-hosted the radio show called The Book Squad and covered the industry for Examiner.com, Postscript’d, the Grio, and Washington Independent Review of Books. All the while, I noticed a lack of books about multicultural people like me whose beauty is in being an amalgam of many things that contribute to a greater whole. Particularly, I longed to read about The Bahamas, my ancestral home. Specifically, I knew that there were masterful undiscovered authors in The Bahamas who deserved to have a wider audience for their work. Norman Solomon, a great Bahamian businessman and statesman, once said, “See a need, and fill it.” So, in 2016, instead of cursing the dark, I decided to light a candle—and Duho Books was born. Our mission at Duho is unique and long overdue: We want to preserve Bahamian culture through the written word and disseminate it to the world.
            Why the name Duho Books? Well, I love duhos and what they represent. First and foremost, they are artifacts from a time that predates Christopher Columbus and the misery he brought to the land we now call The Bahamas. They represent the Arawaks and Lucayans who had a so-called “civilization” long before Europeans intruded. Specifically, duhos represent a throne on which a chief, commonly called a cacique, is elevated. I see the elevation of the Bahamian experience to its own metaphorical throne once more for generations present and future. So, the duho is a nod to The Bahamas’s pre-European past and a representation of the hope for the future of her culture.
            In September of 2017, Duho had published its inaugural collection, available wherever books are sold: My Name Is Karma, by Bahamian author N.A. Cash; The Lights of Home, by Bahamian-American author Marin Frederique; and the 15th anniversary edition of my first novel, Back to Life. Three more novels joined them this past spring—N.A. Cash’s sophomore novel, My Name Is Karma: Journey to the Truth; The Left-Over Daughters by Bahamian author S. L. Sheppard; and the re-release of my acclaimed 2005 novel What You Won’t Do for Love. This fall will bring a new crop of work for curious readers to enjoy.
            At Duho, we remain on the lookout for good reads that land squarely in line with our stated mission. We publish both fiction and non-fiction. Whether you’re a Bahamian author, use The Bahamas as a setting for your book, or just include information about The Bahamas in your writing, we would like to hear from you. If your work fits the criteria for Duho Books or if you’re interested in what we have to offer, visit our website at www.duhobooks.com  




Comments

  1. Amazing piece, Dee. Thanks for giving Duho Books the exposure!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sure thing, Wendy! Wishing you and Duho Books an abundance of success!!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

National Poetry Month’s Feature: Poet Claire Dorsey

Poet’s Bio: Claire Dorsey studied acting at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. She has worked as an actress for almost 20 years Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway, originating roles in Pearl Cleage's  Late Bus to Mecca  at the Judith Anderson Theater and Diana Son's  Stealing Fire  at SoHo Rep. She appeared in an episode of the TV show  The Wire . She worked as an artist-in-residence in NYC public schools and performed her poetry at venues throughout the city.  She collaborated with NYC photographer Kwasi Noire to self-publish a volume of poetry entitled  Rhythms of a Life . Her work appears in volumes 1 and 2 of The Fire Inside: Collected Stories and Poems from Zora’s Den . Claire works as a proofreader and copy editor and is the mother of one amazing daughter.  Readers can learn more about Claire and her work at: Facebook: Claire Dorsey Instagram: kleyrmoon  Deliah Lawrence: What inspired you to be a poet? Claire Dorsey: I am one of nine children. I was nicknamed Idy (

It’s A Book Thing Presents: An Interview with Debbie Stokes, author of The Stranger He Knew

Author’s Bio: Debbie Stokes was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. She has always had a desire to be a published author of a fiction novel, but fear stopped her. She often shares how her story ideas come to her in her dreams, and how she jumps up to write them down. Finally, one day, she pushed past her fear and allowed her vision to come to past. She is now a published author, and The Stranger He Knew is her first book.  Debbie is a former CEO, blogger, and interviewer for her previous women's empowerment blog called, 3 Women Voices, where she shared empowering stories of how people overcame odds to live their best lives. She is also a former contributing writer for FEMI Magazine, a cultural lifestyle magazine, where she interviewed and shared people’s stories.  When not writing, she enjoys singing, dancing, inspiring others, and spending time with family.  Deliah Lawrence: What inspired you to write your book? Debbie Stokes: That is a funny story. One day, I went

Interview with Jacqueline Seewald, Author of THE INHERITANCE

Author’s Bio: Multiple award-winning author, Jacqueline Seewald, has taught creative, expository and technical writing at Rutgers University as well as high school English. She also worked as both an academic librarian and an educational media specialist. Sixteen of her books of fiction have previously been published to critical praise including books for adults, teens and children. Her short stories, poems, essays, reviews and articles have appeared in hundreds of diverse publications and numerous anthologies. What inspired you to write your book? I enjoy writing romantic mystery fiction. The idea for this particular novel just seemed to evolve organically from my imagination. Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult? I would have to say reading the Bible was influential. As far as regular books go, I’m a big fan of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Is this your first book? How long did it take to start and