Nations Series - Hansib Publications

A Family of Nations

Hansib Publications released the first volume in its Nations Series in 1988. Since then it has published no fewer than twenty-five editions in this hugely popular series of pictorially driven coffee-table books.

Each edition offers a luxurious and spectacular depiction and reflection of the nation featured – its history, culture, people, scenic landscape, economic life and much more. Respectful of the past, they equally present contemporary achievements along with plans and aspirations for the future.

Most (if not all) of the contributing photographers and writers are local, ensuring that each book provides a genuine portrait of the nation and its people. These valued associations serve the objective to publish books that are highly regarded both at home and abroad.

Books within the Nations Series are collaborative projects, supported by governments and ministries, as well as businesses from the private sector and social organisations. Such collaborations guarantee that each volume is authentic and meaningful.

The result is, therefore, a publication that serves many purposes:

• A unique document reflecting the many and varied facets of the nation

• An ideal souvenir for tourists and official and business visitors alike

• Excellent promotional material whether to encourage tourism or potential trade and investment

• A valued and memorable corporate gift

• An educational resource for schools and colleges

Hansib’s track record speaks for itself, as do the following testimonies of its trusted and respected partners.

Antigua and Barbuda: A Little Bit of Paradise, 7th Ed.

Published in 2016. Hardback & Paperback, 240 pages

“I am delighted and honoured to be presenting to the whole world, for their pleasure and posterity, the Seventh Edition of A Little Bit of Paradise. This important publication, supported by countless photos, presents an image of Antigua and Barbuda that is exquisitely the work of Hansib Publications.”

Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda

Guyana at 50: Reflection, Celebration and Inspiration

Published in 2016. Hardback, 248 pages

“This commemorative book carries the reader on an exciting journey through the first five decades of our nationhood. It captures, through the use of vivid images and informative text, the events, personalities and entities that have shaped our country’s development.”

David Granger, President

of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana

Trinidad and Tobago: Terrific and Tranquil, 3rd Ed.

Published in 2012. Hardback & Paperback, 248 pages

Commemorating the nation’s 50th anniversary of independence, this Golden Jubilee edition is a celebration and reflection of a vibrant twin-island nation. As the country’s first Prime Minister, Dr Eric Williams, said in 1962, “Place always first the national interest and the national cause. The strength of the nation depends on the strength of its citizens.”

Tobago: Clean, Green and Serene, 2nd Edition

Published in 2012. Hardback, 168 pages

Since the publication of the first edition in 2005, Tobago has seen many developments. The Tourism Department continues to make concerted efforts to increase visitor numbers and today, there is more accommodation, an improved ferry service and more flights.

Jamaica: Absolutely

Published in 2012. Hardback & Paperback, 240pp

Jamaican culture has touched every corner of the globe. Whether it is the pulsating rhythms of Bob Marley’s reggae music, dancehall patois or the pounding footsteps of Usain Bolt, the sounds of Jamaica reverberate across the world. It is a country with a rich history – admittedly of severance and suffering – but, above all, with a will and capacity for survival and achievement. Jamaica is a rich diversity of cultures and traditions; it is rich in sounds and flavours, and a feast for all the senses.

Dominica: Nature Island of the Caribbean, 2nd Ed.

Published in 2009. Hardback, 240 pages

“It is with a special feeling of joy and delight that I forward these remarks to be included in this publication. More importantly, this provides another avenue to greet Dominicans in the Diaspora and citizens of our great homeland… The thoughts and ideas expressed in this coffee-table publication, the wide variety of features they embrace that sums up who we are … presents that wholesome package of who we are as a people.”

Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica

Guyana, 2nd Edition

Published in 2008. Hardback, 248 pages

“I am pleased to be associated with this publication which introduces you to my country, Guyana; a land bursting with potential; busy in modernising its facilities and services and welcoming to visitors and investors alike. It is my pleasure to invite you to immerse yourself in this book and discover within its pages what Guyana has to offer.”

Bharrat Jagdeo, President of the Republic of Guyana

Antigua and Barbuda: A Little Bit of Paradise, 6th Ed.

Published in 2008. Hardback, 240 pages

“This publication brings new illumination to any image of Antigua and Barbuda, and indeed any concept of the Caribbean you may already have. This publication is an engaging and authentic rendering of Antigua and Barbuda at a new dawn in the new century. I look forward to welcoming you, as visitor and investor, to this little bit of paradise and to our two islands of opportunity.”

Baldwin Spencer, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda

Barbados: Experience the Authentic Caribbean

Published in 2007. Hardback, 240 pages

“This book is comprehensive in scope, yet captures the essence of Barbados. It would be of interest to the potential tourist, the prudent investor, the curious reader or indeed the student or academic… I believe that the pictures and attendant prose are more eloquent than I am in capturing the best of Barbados in this book, and I therefore congratulate Hansib Publications on this effort, which is an excellent gift to the nation on the occasion of its 40th Anniversary Celebrations.”

Owen S. Arthur, Prime Minister of Barbados

Trinidad and Tobago: Terrific and Tranquil, 2nd Ed.

Published in 2006. Hardback, 240 pages

History has conspired, largely unwittingly, to create in Trinidad one of the world’s most cosmopolitan societies and multi-ethnic cultures, while in Tobago, one of the Caribbean’s strongest African cultures survives proudly in the age of the internet.

If you’re looking for terrific action and tranquil relaxation, with the past alive in the present, and a totally unique Caribbean experience, you will find it all in Trinidad and Tobago.

Guyana

Published in 2006. Hardback, 240 pages

“I am pleased to be associated with this publication which introduces you to my country, Guyana; a land bursting with potential; busy in modernising its facilities and services and welcoming to visitors and investors alike. It is my pleasure to invite you to immerse yourself in this book and discover within its pages what Guyana has to offer.”

Bharrat Jagdeo, President of the Republic of Guyana

Antigua and Barbuda: A Little Bit of Paradise, 5th Ed.

Published in 2005. Hardback, 240 pages

“This publication brings new illumination to any image of Antigua and Barbuda, and indeed any concept of the Caribbean you may already have. This publication is an engaging and authentic rendering of Antigua and Barbuda at a new dawn in the new century. I look forward to welcoming you, as visitor and investor, to this little bit of paradise and to our two islands of opportunity.”

Baldwin Spencer, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda

Tobago: Clean, Green and Serene

Published in 2005. Hardback, 168 pages

“I invite you to visit Tobago … where a warm and friendly people offer just the right level of hospitality to make vacationing a pleasurable experience. Come and experience tranquil idyllic Crusoe’s isle, this clean, green and serene wonderland, a destination of matchless tranquillity, yet one that offers the heights of excitement. We guarantee you an experience that will excite the spectrum of visitors, from the leisure seeker to the consummate academic.”

Neil Wilson, Secretary for Tourism in the Tobago House of Assembly

Saint Lucia: Simply Beautiful, 2nd Edition

Published in 2005. Hardback, 240 pages

The tranquil shores of this gentle tropical haven conceal wonders and delights that can only be found in the cobalt seas of the Caribbean, where the relaxed pace of life appears to stretch time, and the cooling sea breezes and tropical sunshine combine to sooth the spirit.

Anguilla: Tranquillity Wrapped in Blue

Published in 2003. Hardback, 160 pages

“As you read through our 25th Anniversary of Tourism commemorative book I hope you will begin to sense the pride we as Anguillians feel to call this tranquil island home. I sincerely hope that this book gives you a glimpse into the heart of Anguilla and the Anguillians who will welcome your visit.”

Osbourne B. Fleming, Chief Minister of Anguilla

Trinidad and Tobago: Terrific and Tranquil

Published in 2000. Hardback, 312 pages

Like all Caribbean peoples, the sons and daughters of this nation are scattered far and wide. But they are all ambassadors for a land they never forget. Blessed with a dynamic, industrious, multi-racial people, uniquely rich culture, advantageous location, abundant natural resources, and spectacular and unspoiled scenery and nature, the country can self-confidently stride into the next millennium with a better quality of life for all its people.

Antigua and Barbuda: A Little Bit of Paradise, 4th Ed.

Published in 1999. Hardback, 288 pages

An impressive Caribbean nation whose story is told from its early settlement to its present development.

India: A Wealth of Diversity

Published in 1997. Hardback, 252 pages

India is a continuum. A country poised in every way to meet the challenges of the 21st century, with, for example, the world’s largest pool of both computer programmers and graduate engineers, it firmly holds its place as an equal among the nations of the world. This book strives to present a truthful picture of India. But we make no claim to detached objectivity. This is a sentimental journey, an evocation of India in all its richness, complexity and diversity.

Saint Lucia: Simply Beautiful

Published in 1997. Hardback, 320 pages

“It is my hope that every page of this book will serve as a beckoning finger, enticing you toward taking the final step, that is, to set foot on Saint Lucia’s shores. We have been seeking, in recent times, to expose the rest of the world to that which Saint Lucia has to offer. It is our hope that this book will contribute in a tangible way to this process.”

Dr Kenny Anthony, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia

Antigua and Barbuda: A Little Bit of Paradise, 3rd Ed.

Published in 1996. Hardback, 304 pages

To and overwhelming degree, Antigua and Barbuda depends on the tourist industry for its economic well-being.

Yet it is from this foundation that Antigua and Barbuda has moved to maintain and develop the quality of its people’s lives, steadily increasing the resources made available for health, education and all the various services essential to the construction of a modern and civilised country.

Barbados: Just Beyond Your Imagination

Published in 1994. Hardback, 320 pages

“The publishers have accomplished their mission in producing a comprehensive guidebook capturing succinctly every subject of relevance to the casual reader, the curious academic, the searching student or the visitor planning a holiday and seeking information on the island.”

Billie A. Miller, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tourism and International Transport, Barbados

Antigua and Barbuda: A Little Bit of Paradise, 2nd Ed.

Published in 1994. Hardback, 304 pages

“The success of your first book and its benefits to Antigua and Barbuda is indeed a notable achievement.”

Dr Rodney Williams, Minister of Economic Development, Industry and Tourism, Antigua and Barbuda

Grenada: Spice Island of the Caribbean

Published in 1994. Hardback, 304 pages

“It gives me great pleasure to be associated with the publication of this unique book. A perusal of its pages reveals that not only does the book depict every aspect of life of our tri-island state of Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique, but in addition, it includes a portrayal of our history, culture, sports, politics, industry and commerce and above all, tourism. As such, it is a useful instrument for promoting tourism both at home and abroad, not to mention its use as an encyclopaedic reference manual.”

Nicholas Brathwaite, Prime Minister of Grenada

Dominica: Nature Island of the Caribbean

Published in 1989. Hardback, 320 pages

“This book on our nature island of the Caribbean is the first of its kind and lifts a little of the veil of secrecy that has hidden our treasures from the outside world. Our Government thought it necessary to promote the realities of our country to an international audience and, accordingly, we commissioned this book. We hope that it will be a source of insight and enlightenment to readers at home and abroad.”

M. Eugenia Charles, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica

Antigua and Barbuda: A Little Bit of Paradise

Published in 1988. Hardback, 304 pages

This was the inaugural edition in our Nations Series and marked the first step on a journey of more than thirty years serving the nations of the Caribbean. It was conceived following a suggestion by the then Deputy Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Lester Bird. The rest, as they say, is history.

second half

Hansib ethos

the English-speaking Caribbean.”

A publisher’s tale, fifty years in the making

As the 21st Century trundles towards middle age, the optimism that welcomed the ‘new age’ in the ‘noughties’ often appears to have been replaced with a sense of foreboding by many who claim that this ‘new age’ is beset with challenges and difficulties they believe never existed in any previous era. A preposterous analysis to folks who travailed against trials and tribulations that were no less than anything set before the contemporary era’s struggling masses.

The potential hazards of disillusionment, globalisation, social disenfranchisement, geographical dislocation, inclusion, exclusion, soulless technology, disproportionate allocation of material resources and poor examples set by heads of state, are common tropes repeated frequently throughout human history, merely disguised by linguistic variables, locale and chronology.

If there is one organisation which can safely claim that it has been there and documented that, and that there was a fresh and distinctive slant and perspective of the eternal human saga, it is Hansib Publications.

The cultural and social revolution which Britain underwent during the second half of the 20th Century has provided the backbone and bedrock upon which the Hansib ethos was founded, and the hitherto unheralded settlement of people of direct African and Asian heritage, primarily emerging from the unique cultural melting pot which percolates in the English-speaking Caribbean.

Many observers detect a thread which emphasises the centrality of the role that the Caribbean has played in the social and political dynamics of our age. Hansib’s role as curator or custodian of the legends and anecdotes which populate the 500-year Caribbean odyssey has led to the publication of biographies, memoirs, poetry and prose compilations, historical tracts, novels and even an acclaimed series of coffee table books.

At its inception in 1970, Hansib Publications was the dream of Arif Ali, a Guyanese man who had no formal experience in publishing. He had settled in England and recognised among his fellow travellers and contemporaries a grandiloquence and epic sensibility which the mainstream media either deliberately ignored or simply failed to recognise at the time.

Hansib’s legacy as a campaigning publisher has few equals in Europe, let alone Britain, as victims of bigoted bureaucracy, police brutality, nazi savagery and even internecine violence found a platform and a template for resistance in the weekly newspapers later founded under the Hansib umbrella: Caribbean Times , Asian Times and African Times

The trade union activism and academic accomplishment which Hansib lionised further emboldened folk whose positions as transport and health service personnel obscured their secret identities as super sheroes and heroes who had weathered colonial rule, fought wars on behalf of former colonisers and achieved flag independence, but still voyaged to Britain and North America in search of opportunity.

Hansib further coalesced this everburgeoning community fire through books and even with the Hansib Community Awards, the formerly annual celebration of excellence which undoubtedly set a template for the plethora of backslap fests which litter London’s social calendar.

The flame which was fanned by these assorted ventures abides in the content of the tomes which Hansib continues to publish. Professional wordsmiths with international reputations jostle with firsttime authors within a catalogue that stands as a monument to Caribbean ingenuity and West Indian obstinacy and speaks truth to power that Caribbean nations provided the first examples of modern multi-cultural societies.

20th

Several of the first-time authors are only ‘one-time’ authors; men and women whose vigorously articulated ‘ordinariness’ is performed in an extraordinary landscape where their normality becomes the subject of awe. Others are bitten hard by the writing bug and attempt to forge full-time careers out of their passion.

For many, the remarkable sagas that they provide us with would have been lost forever, as most other publishing houses would have adjudged that the narratives they were being offered had no commercial appeal to the wider public. Hansib Publications is happy to transform these ‘dust packets’ that others refuse, into loaves of gold which find eager recipients throughout the Caribbean diaspora.

The Hansib imprint grants its authors access to a growing network of retail outlets, both locally and internationally, having established relationships with retail giants such as Amazon, as well as many independent bookshops, not to mention schools,colleges, universities and public libraries.

Hansib Publications is proud of its reputation in providing an outlet for the many voices that remain unheard. It continues to encourage the personal narratives that are testimonies of struggle, survival and success that cannot get beyond the portals of mainstream publishers.

The buzzword of diversity comes to mind when one considers that the new scramble for ‘Third World’ treasure now encompasses the ideas which emanate from the consciousness of the settler communities for best-selling books, awardgarnering TV shows and million-dollar generating movies, as well as the riches which continue being drawn from the soil and lakes of their homelands.

Where Hansib continues to lead, others continue to follow. Any reason not to get on board?

“The cultural and social revolution which Britain underwent during the

of the

Century has provided the backbone and bedrock upon which the

was founded, and the hitherto unheralded settlement of people of direct African and Asian heritage, primarily emerging from the unique cultural melting pot which percolates in