Bequia poet and social activist Dillon Ollivierre launched his first book of poetry, entitled “En Route to Self and Society” last Sunday in Bequia.
En Route to Self and Society is a collection of 50 poems divided into three sections: Family, Faith and Youth and Society and is reflective of the three most important pillars in his life, Ollivierre said.
The poems are aimed at evangelising, addressing social issues and paying homage to persons who have played a critical role in his development.
The collection of poems he said bears testimony to what happens when we embrace God’s gift with the right attitude.
The launching of En Route to Self and Society was attended by relatives, friends and strong supporters of Ollivierre’s poetry, including former minister of culture and President of the Vincentian Association of Artists Writers and Producers, Rene Baptiste and Editor of the Compass Publishing Ltd., Sally Erdle.
Baptiste recollected that she and Cecil Blazer Williams would call each other whenever Ollivierre published his work in the newspaper.
She said they were both “moved by not just rhythm and rhyme but the style, the pros, the chosen language, the expression”.
“The topics that he tackled was surprising,” she said and encouraged those in attendance to follow Ollivierre’s example because “it’s not always working in a gang or with a bandwagon of people, it’s sometimes standing by yourself because you are able to project that pureness, that innocence of your action not looking for prize, reward or award but just looking for the satisfaction that you are able to stand by principle and for principle.”
Erdle, through the archives of the Compass Publishing Ltd., shared one of Ollivierre’;s first published submissions, “In Love”, giving those in attendance a glimpse into the beginning stage of the poet’s journey.
Ollivierre credits the compass for providing an initial avenue for his poetry and for challenging him to think outside the box, therefore developing his critical thinking skills.
The launching was made possible with support from Bank of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Spring Hotel Bequia.