Robert Romney returns to his native island to present his latest work, Illustrated Proverbs, an illustrated booklet on words and expressions specific to Saint-Martin, available at the Librairie des Isles de Concordia.
Fervent defender of Saint-Martin culture, this former associate professor of English has long campaigned for the recognition of speak Saint-Martinois as a language in its own right.
"Language is a fascinating subject of study for me, because behind language there is History," confides the writer. "We must know our history, our origins, to be able to open up to others."
Born in Saint-Martin, Robert Romney lived in mainland France and then in London before settling in Guadeloupe. Although he writes most of his books in classical English, Illustrated Proverbs is written in Creole English, the local language that he wishes to highlight with humor and color.
"I wanted this book to be visual and colorful, so I called on young illustrators from mainland France, Spain and the Antilles."
With his career in national education under his belt, Robert designs his books as educational tools : “These are materials for studying, they constitute a language background to be made available to students.”
Because this is his motivation, to integrate this vernacular language (language of the country) into schools.
In line with his previous works 'Saint Martin Talk' and 'From Saint Martin Talk to Standard English', this booklet approaches the Saint-Martinois dialect from a different angle, that of humor and visuals.
Source: Faxinfo https://faxinfo.fr/en/culture-proverbes-et-dictons-illustres-de-saint-martin/
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