[dropcap]B[/dropcap]ryan Auguste started writing in 1998 and hasn’t stopped since. The Saint Lucian author who resides in Canada is the author of multiple faith-oriented, Christian books. In our interview this week the author told the STAR his book ‘Who is Oxymor?’ is quite significant to him, as it’s based on his childhood and his background. He writes his books in Canada and has a total of twelve books with titles including: ‘Lord Heal Our Nation’, ‘Succeeding Against All Odds: A Practical Guide to Success in Examinations’, ‘Anxious About Nothing’, and ‘Pray Through Your Dungeon’. The STAR interviewed Bryan this week to find out more about his mission to share inspiration through his work.
What encouraged you to start writing?
Bryan: The experiences I’ve gone through in my life. The book ‘Anxious About Nothing’ is about the encounters I went through growing up with my mother and grandmother. It inspired me to contribute and help assist others.
Who is your target audience?
Bryan: Students, people who seek encouragement, and the Christian community. I believe there is something to be found for everyone in my publications, no matter the culture or age range.
What message are you trying to convey through your books?
Bryan: Each book has a different message but I want to encourage more people to read in our country, gain a little wisdom, and perhaps impact their lives. For instance, there was a guy who read my book, ‘Pray Through Your Dungeon’. He said after he read the book he stopped watching pornography on the Internet.
How many books do you have and what are they about?
Bryan: Right now, I have twelve books. They focus on the Christian faith and are motivational and inspirational books.
On an average, how long does it take you to write a book?
Bryan: It depends on the book I’m writing. For example, my latest book ‘Lord Heal Our Nation’ took me five years to complete. It is based on the issues that cause nations to be in problems. Disputes that we go through in our country aren’t unique to Saint Lucia. They could serve as a basis for analysis of what could be wrong with all nations. It provides practical examples of change in the government; new policies and social programmes are not necessarily the answer to the problems of the nation.
Which one of your books do you like the most?
Bryan: ‘Who is the Real Oxymor?’ because growing up, Oxymor was supposed to be a dim-witted guy and everybody was in search of him. It was said he was the guy who saw a mango, climbed the tree, touched the mango and then climbed back down. After that he threw a stone at the mango trying to pick it. So, we grew up with a lot of humour around dim-witted things and persons and the search for that Oxymor is like searching for the Holy Grail. It speaks about my background, how I grew up and how I knew about Oxymor. It also features people who were considered Oxymor, such as Einstein, by the teachers and most people; I’ve selected a few of them and included it into the book as well as quotations, and how they went on to achieve greatness and to prove people wrong.
Where are your books available?
Bryan: Currently, I am trying to make them available through all book retailers in Saint Lucia.
