Andre Iton launches new book

If you are interested in ancient philosophy and how it relates to modern living and the purpose of life you might find Andre Iton’s new book interesting.

The Vincentian’s third publication, “Telling the Dao and Seeing the Wisdom” was launched on Thursday, November, 7,2024 during a session at the Curator’s House located on the compound of the Botanic Gardens. The book was illustrated by Caroline “Boops” Sardine.

The original Dao relates to the fundamental concept of Chinese philosophy, and Iton told SEARCHLIGHT that his book is an attempt to put Dao in as simple a language as possible.

“I originally bought a copy of the Dao back in the 1980s and I have used it as a point of reference at many points in my life.

“It is a very inspiring piece of philosophical traditional writing,” Iton explained, while revealing that in 2020 during the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic when he was spending a lot of time alone, he read his copy of Dao “a lot” and decided to write his own version of the 81 verses in the Dao.

“I took on the challenge of writing my own version of the 81 verses and I got Caroline’s support. She did the pictures, and the publishers were very supportive and very confident that it was worth the effort to publish it,” Iton told SEARCHLIGHT. He said he worked on the book on and off starting from 2020, and it can now be bought at the Gaymes Book store.

“…this is my interpretation of an old Chinese tradition, the Dao, which is about 300 BC and what I have done is attempted to put it into my own words with Caroline’s help who has put the visual interpretation to it so we have come up with our own interpretation,” Iton further explained.

The foreword says the book entices Caribbean people to embrace their full imagination through multiple senses, bringing them into connection with their nature legacy, “the source from which their ancestors found true liberation in the mystic realms of creative imagination”.

Commenting, Sardine said this is the second time she has illustrated for Iton; the first being “Pin and Needles.”

She said reading Iton’s words generated ideas for the artwork.

The book is published by Hobo Jungle Press, an entity committed to publishing works by Vincentian authors and artists.