PHILIPSBURG--The ninth annual St. Maarten Book Fair was closed off at Belair Community Centre Saturday evening with the official launching of Yvette Hyman's cookbook From Yvette's Kitchen To Your Table ? A Treasury of St. Martin's Traditional and Contemporary Cuisine.
St. Maarten's first hardcover cookbook was launched in the presence of relatives of the "first lady" of local cuisine and founder of Yvette's Restaurant in French Quarter, who passed away in August 1999. Many among the audience seized the opportunity to have copies of the book signed by Hyman's relatives.
The Book Fair opened at the Chamber of Commerce Building in Marigot on Thursday with a keynote address by Nobel Prize laureate Derek Walcott of St. Lucia, who received the President's Award from Book Fair coordinator Shujah Reiph and House of Nehesi Publishers President Jacqueline Sample on Saturday.
Walcott received the distinction for his outstanding contributions to the 2011 Book Fair. The poet, playwright, writer and visual artist was among several authors who read from their work during a well-attended poetry and prose recital at Le Charolais Restaurant at Maho Plaza on Friday.
Other authors who read from their work during Friday's event were Georges Cocks (Guadeloupe), Stephanie Stokes Oliver (Anguilla), and Drisana Deborah Jack (St. Maarten).
Other highlights of the three-day event included the roundtable discussion on freedom of expression, the theme of this year's Book Fair, held at University of St. Martin (USM) on Friday afternoon. Publicist and political scientist Joseph H. Lake Jr., Drisana Deborah Jack and Calypso King 2011 Clement "Kaiso Brat" Richards gave an overview of their professional experiences with regard to freedom of expression.
Several workshops were held at USM between 8:00am and 4:30pm Saturday, with the workshop conducted by archaeologist Jay Haviser on the history of salt in St. Maarten being among those well-attended. Other workshops included a spiritually-based motivational session by Cokes Oliver and a sound-mixing workshop by DJ Mix Master Pauly.
Saturday's closing ceremony was graced by a performance by Isidore "Mighty Dow" York, who received a Lifetime Achievement/Hall of Fame Award during the 30th edition of the International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA) ceremony in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, on May 28.
Guest speaker was Director of Tourism Regina Labega who, with an eye on the cookbook presentation, elucidated on the cultural value of traditional cooking and the importance of culinary tourism.
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