Minister of Youth and Community Empowerment, Adrian Forde (left), endorsed the decision to have the ‘Letters to the Nation’ placed in schools and in places where disadvantaged and incarcerated youth could draw inspiration from them. Here, he receives a signed copy of the book from Author, Corey Worrell.
Opposition Leader, Bishop Joseph Atherley (left), accepts a copy of ‘Letters to the Nation’, from Author, Corey Worrell.
Former Chief Justice of Barbados, Sir David Simmons (left), receives a signed copy of the book ‘Letters to the Nation’, from Author, Corey Worrell.
A section of the audience gathered for the book launch in the Law Lecture Theatre of the UWI, Cave Hill Campus.
Youth across secondary schools in Barbados will soon be able to draw encouragement and inspiration from a newly launched book entitled “Letters to the Nation”.
Corey Worrell, a former Commonwealth Youth Ambassador, now a visionary leader, educator and influential communicator, is the author of the newly published book which contains forty-six of the over three hundred noteworthy articles he penned as a former newspaper columnist, which he says made an impact on the Barbadian public. Worrell, whilst speaking at his Book Launch held recently in the Law Lecture Theatre at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, indicated that he will be making copies of the book available to school children and also disadvantaged youth, even those who have been incarcerated.
“The book is literally a book of encouragement and inspiration and it covers many different topics. It is a book that is not just for adults, but secondary school children can benefit from it as well. When I was going to school, I went into the library and I don’t think I would really see any books from local writers that were outside of let’s say history or something like that. So I said, there is greatness, there is substance, there is life inside this book and I know that there are especially fourth formers, fifth formers, sixth formers who could benefit from what is in this book,” Worrell commented.
“So some of them are going to go in the library. The students may have free periods or they may go in at lunch and they may see this book and pick it up and something that they may be going through, this book can be an encouragement to them,” he added.
“So my desire is to have at least one single book, at least one, in schools. There are schools which are bigger and they may get two or three, but the books will be placed in the libraries and the children, whenever they want, they can go and take a look. I also would like to have some books in Summerville (for troubled girls), in the Government Industrial School (for boys who break the law) and I would like to get some into the prison, even the Youth Advance Corps. I would like to get some books there, because of what is in the book,” Worrell further stated.
Embracing such a decision was Minister of Youth and Community Empowerment, Adrian Forde, who later received a signed copy of Worrell’s book. He noted that by its very content, it could serve to inspire disengaged youth and those who want to turn their lives around, even if they have committed crimes. He meanwhile noted that not only young people, but elders, Barbadian families and by extension communities could draw inspiration from the book, as they learn how to navigate life’s challenges as well.
“I think it is an important read. I think that Corey has done a tremendous job and I want to pay homage to him today and I would like all young persons to aspire to do similar exercises, to help build our nation. Because we must ensure that positive letters are distributed across the breadth of Barbados,” Forde remarked.
Also receiving signed copies of the book were former Chief Justice of Barbados, Sir David Simmons; Opposition Leader, Bishop Joseph Atherley; Corey Worrell’s beloved mother, Nora Worrell; and dear friends June Fowler and Imran Richards, amongst others.