RENOWNED Linden novelist and poet, Leon Labastide last Saturday launched his fourth novel in Brooklyn, New York. The launch of the book, titled ‘Pink Cover: Things are Important’, came after months of promotion and preparation.
The 31-year-old author, who hails from Wisroc, Linden, was pleased to have Linden Mayor Carwyn Holland as a guest at his grand launch that was held at 3 Black Cats Café’ in Brooklyn, New York, and had over 100 persons in attendance.
According to Labastide, his team actually ran out of books, even though there were over 40 copies available.
The enthusiastic poet also performed some of the spoken-word pieces featured in the book for his audience.
He will be preparing to go on tour to the Netherlands, Curaçao and Guyana this year. The team will also be touring the United Kingdom, Dubai and Aruba, where the Guyana flag will be proudly represented.
The book focuses on the many struggles faced by Mankind, and how they are often overlooked by those who may not be experiencing the same struggles.

Leon’s aim was to highlight the fact that all of humanity’s struggles are important, and that we should all play a role and lend a hand in the elimination of global issues. Said he: “We have billions of people in this world, and each day they are struggling with something, so the book says that everything is important.
“From cancer, to God, to love, to relationship, to poverty, to racism, to bigotry, to hatred, to your nationality, to domestic violence, suicide… everything is important; it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, everyone is struggling with something.”
The book also urges persons to stop protecting the monsters of the world, and to be transparent.

OH BEAUTIFUL GUYANA
Chapter Three of the book, titled ‘Oh Beautiful Guyana’, exclusively speaks on this native land as a means of putting Guyana out there; showing his readers where he came from, and the Guyanese upbringing he had which contributed to the respectable, goal-oriented and young achiever he is today.
One of the pieces is called ‘Moving Forward’, which aims at encouraging citizens of Guyana to look past the hate, suffering and negativities that have plagued the nation for decades and to rise up and unite to create a new Guyana in recognition of the jubilee year.
“The Golden Jubilee was far more than a spectacle; it was historical. It uplifted culture, giving us millennial; a sense of pride for our country,” Leon says in the poem, adding:
“It was so much more than a celebration: It was a unification of all peoples from within every region, coming together for the greater good to celebrate the moving forward after fifty years.
“As a community as well as a country, there is urgent need to look past 2016; we have to look and think futuristic.
“It’s all about the next step; the next journey, the next conversation between countries and civilians. It’s about uniting to keep and maintain the rhetoric of the 50th anniversary.”
He also wrote a piece on the young Guyanese olympians who represented the country at the recently held competitions in Brazil.
“Just to see the Guyana Flag being hosted at the ceremony and having all those Guyanese track stars running and representing in swimming and representing Guyana, I was so proud for the Guyanese culture,” Leon said.
A piece titled, Linden Youth Leaders also highlights the youth group in Linden of which Labastide is also a member.
This renowned writer has previously published three books, namely: ‘Breath of Life Poetry’, ‘Here Comes the Dreamers: The Journey’, and ‘Transparency’. These publications were completed within the span of five years, as Leon’s passion for art is indeed spectacular.
He has mesmerised hundreds of audiences during his career with his inspirational prose, insightful short stories, and authentic life experiences.
Many have experienced his natural talent of storytelling at poetry events, church services, college campuses, motivational conferences, and book tours in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Curaçao and in his homeland, Guyana.
He started writing at the age of 15 and is currently the CEO of SpokenWordAndCoffee organization: The organization’s tagline is “It’s bigger than poetry, it’s bigger than you and me, it’sPoVetry.) PoVentry is the combination of poetry and poverty.