Troy Hadeed opens Bocas Academy workshop series

Budding and prospective self-published authors have a chance to learn from a successful local writer as part of the Bocas Academy’s Term Two curriculum.

Troy Hadeed will lead an online Zoom seminar on maximising self-publishing potential on February 1.

My Name is Love, his debut non-fiction book, combines personal anecdote, meditative practices, and guided techniques to speak about love beyond ordinary or expected terms, a media release said.

The book has earned praise from OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature prize-winner Monique Roffey. The release said Roffey describes it as a title that “brings wisdom, and provokes contemplation of our wider horizons and our capacity for spiritual awareness and connection. Loving kindness leaps from every page. This book is a gem out of Trinidad, true soul reading.”

On his upcoming seminar, Hadeed said his road to being a published author was not conventional, but one he looked forward to sharing with attendees.

“For me, it was never enough just to publish a book and sell a few hundred copies, so the support from the local community and market is far beyond what I expected. To be recognised and acknowledged by Bocas Lit Fest as a local author with something worthwhile to offer was not something I ever imagined would happen. It is both humbling and encouraging,” he said in the release.

Participants can expect candid, accessible feedback and insights from Hadeed during the seminar, which provides ample time for questions and comments from attendees, the release said.

Hadeed’s session is the first of three seminars focused on self-publishing collectively titled Write a Book, Get it Published! On February 8, award-winning graphic designer Melanie Archer will lead a session on the importance of book design to a publication’s success.

On February 15, managing director of Paria Publishing Alice Besson will outline the role of a publisher in guiding a book to its final, saleable form. All sessions will take place virtually via Zoom.

Participants in the Bocas Academy will also have access to free resource kits, alumni events, and certificates of completion, the release said.

For more info: www.academy.bocaslitfest.com or e-mail workshops@bocaslitfest.com.