The Adventures of Errol and Jacintha, a new children’s book series by Jacintha Brice Leerdam, was launched in Zwolle, The Netherlands, on July 1, Emancipation Day. The stories are inspired by the childhood experiences of her and her brother, Errol. They paint a picture, preserve memories and introduce readers who are unfamiliar with the islands, to life on Statia in the 70s and 80s.
The newly launched books are The Well and Our First Cake, and a total of six books are planned for the series. They are published in both English and Dutch, and distribution is underway for Statia, St. Maarten and the Netherlands. Jacintha spoke to The Weekender to share more about the books, her initial book launch, and hopes for better representation of the smaller Dutch Caribbean islands.
The communities of St. Maarten and St. Eustatius will remember Jacintha from Lynn’s Bakery on Statia, Lynn’s Dream Bakery on St. Maarten, and the radio programme Intimate Matters, among other things. She was born on St. Maarten to parents Lynette Anson-Leerdam and James Nathaniel Brice from Statia and spent years of her childhood in Statia, living as an adult on both islands before moving to the Netherlands. She remains deeply connected to both islands.
Her departure to the Netherlands was actually an unexpected one, prompted by unforeseen circumstances. While there, she has remained involved in the family business, Lynn’s Bakery, but decided to start another venture with this new chapter of life. Writing children’s literature had always been something she wanted to do.
While the timing of when the project started was unintentional, the launch date was not. The book launch took place on July 1, during the Keti Koti festival which commemorates and celebrates emancipation from slavery.
Jacintha laments that Emancipation Day, July 1, is not an officially recognised holiday in the Netherlands. However, she says that it seems that there is more attention given to Keti Koti. The evening prior to the festival, there was a Keti Koti memorial, and she had been asked to speak, representing the islands. She accepted the invitation, and the speech was very well received. She received feedback on how touching and insightful it was, and a government official referred back to it later on stage.
The speech invited listeners to relate to a perspective, as she directed her personal message to an enslaved ancestor who was wondering what the future would be like for her descendants. She was left with the impression that people are, in general, understanding more of what happened. She also advocated for more representation and visibility for the smaller Dutch Caribbean islands, which often feel overlooked. Among the stands at the festival, most were from Curaçao and Suriname, which are arguably the most visible in the Netherlands. Her stand represented Statia, and she was also next to one St. Maarten stand.
In spite of the book launch being on Wednesday, a work-day, it went very well. They sang the St. Maarten and Statia songs, Jacintha presented the ideas behind the books to visitors, and the illustrator did the same for her artwork. An extra special touch for the day was that Jacintha met the books’ illustrator, Daniella Simmons, in person for the first time.
Daniella, who currently studies Illustration at the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam, was raised in St. Maarten and born in Trinidad. Jacintha was connected to her via recommendation in St. Maarten. Meeting in Zwolle for the first time was a wonderful experience. Jacintha says that she shared her vision with Daniella – who she describes as a prodigy – and that it was executed perfectly. The vivid illustrations were made using watercolour, gouache and collage.
Another artistic layer, which will feature on the opening page of all six books of the series, is a painting by Orva Medina, who hails from Curaçao, Statia, and St. Maarten. It features the colours of the Statia flag and many symbols including blue beads, Coralita, red and orange flamboyant, and a curtain representing the Golden Rock.
For more information, visit www.theadventuresoferroljacintha.com. Distribution in Statia is via Lynn’s Bakery. For St. Maarten, those interested can send a WhatsApp message to Jacintha (+1 721 526-6667) for delivery, while distribution channels are being finalised.Pictured: Author Jacintha Brice Leerdam (left) and Illustrator Daniella Simmons (right) at the book launch for The Well and Our First Cake, during the Keti Koti festival in Zwolle, the Netherlands.
