Book shares former prime minister of Jamaica’s quest to reshape mindset, influence change throughout Caribbean

My Political Journey, authored by Jamaica’s sixth prime minister, PJ Patterson, has won the 2020 Next Generation Indie Book Award in the memoir category.

The book, which was published by the University of the West Indies Press, catalogued the knowledge that Patterson gained during his time in office, sharing his quest to reshape the mindset of not only his fellow citizens but influence changes throughout the Caribbean.

During his 14-year leadership of the Caribbean’s largest English-speaking territory, Patterson sought to “refashion the social order of Jamaica,” while working with other Caribbean countries to move towards “regional and economic cooperation”.

The Next Generation Indie Book Award is an international awards programme for independent publishers. The award recognises the most exceptional independently published books for over 70 categories for the year and is presented by the Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group in cooperation with Marylyn Allen of Allen’s O’Shea Literary Agency.

Patterson showed a more personal side of himself in the book when he described the maternal and paternal sides of his family. His maternal family were church folk with many of them choosing to go into teaching while the paternal side of the family were among the first people to purchase land for agriculture and raising their own animals.

This is not the first book published by Patterson. He also wrote A Jamaican Voice in Caribbean and World Affairs, which is a selection of his speeches from 1992 through 2000.

With Patterson drawing inspiration from from strong Caribbean leaders, it is not surprising that he mentioned some of them in his memoir.

In particular, he wrote highly of his predecessor, the late Michael Manley.

Patterson wrote about his relationship with Manley, who he said was trying to change the social order in Jamaica. He referred to leaders who have made an indelible mark in Caribbean history such as the founding fathers of modern Jamaica – Alexander Bustamante as the first prime minister and Norman Manley as its first premier.

The other leading Caribbean leaders mentioned in the book are Grantley Adams of Barbados, Eric Williams of Trinidad and Tobago, Vere Bird of Antigua and Robert Bradshaw of St. Kitts and Nevis.