GUYANESE-CANADIAN author Kezia Hinds is the author of two uplifting books – 111 Positive Thoughts: Give Yourself Grace, and Ladybug and Spider.

Before moving to Canada in 2008, Kezia was a seasoned news anchor and reporter at the National Communications Network (NCN) in Georgetown.

Although she had a background in communications, Kezia realized that moving to Canada meant she had to be open to a career change.

She returned to school where she completed her studies and was awarded a Diploma in Media Communications and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism at Humber College.

Her first book, 111 Positive Thoughts: Give Yourself Grace, was published in 2023.

She told this publication that as human beings going through this journey of life, there are periods when our thoughts are scattered and that there are almost always negative thoughts.

Kezia used positive thoughts instead of negatives ones as the basis for writing the book. “And I choose the number 111 because I’ve gone on a path of like understanding myself more on a spiritual journey. And 111 is a spiritual number for a new beginning, so, it is my hope that people who read the book and indulge in the thoughts in the book would have a new beginning in their mindset.”
Kezia, who was a student of the Mackenzie High School in Linden, recalled having to recite a “positive thought” at the school’s general assembly one week.

“So, they asked me to do the thought for the week, and in front of the whole school, I stood up, forgot the thought, but eventually something just came to my head and I said the thought for the week,” Kezia said, adding, “Even in my diary and stuff, I would always write down positive thoughts in it. And I never really knew what effects that would have had until I was a little more grown and realised that one positive thought can suppress so much negative thoughts.”

Her second book, Ladybug and Spider was published in 2024. It was inspired by her eldest son who was being bullied by his peers. She drew from their experiences as a minority group in Canada, channeling it to write a compelling story about inclusivity.

“So, after being at Humber, I started working with the federal government in Canada, and I would say about three years ago, or maybe more, I just had this vision to write a book about a ladybug and a spider,” she said.

She continued to say that initially, she knew that she wanted to write a children’s book, however, at that time, she didn’t know what kind of children’s book to write.

The author compared society’s perception of ladybugs and spiders, noting that ladybugs are often treated gently, while spiders evoke panic, fear and often aggression.

This led her to reflect on the unfair way persons of African descent are often treated, noting that they are viewed in the same way as the spider, while the ladybug is a representation of persons with a “lighter complexion”.

In writing the book, she realised that she can sometimes have the gentleness of a ladybug while also embracing the strength and resilience of a spider.

The book is meant to inspire children and teach them to love everyone regardless of where they may be from, or what they look like.

“If we can influence their mindset to want to embrace people regardless of what they look like, then we are creating a better tomorrow. At least give people the chance to be your friend rather than just shunning them based off of what our own biases or the things that we’ve learned along the way about that person. So, just giving them a chance to know who we are,” she remarked.

Both books can be found for purchase by searching for the book titles or Kezia Liane Hinds on Amazon.