Literary Achievement lauded as Republic Bank hosts Sugar in The Blood

This view was shared by CEO of Republic Bank, Ian DeSouza, as the Bank hosted an Evening with celebrated Barbadian author and historian, Andrea Stuart and her novel: Sugar in the Blood – A Family’s Story of Slavery and Empire.

De Souza told an audience of academics, customers and special guests at the Radisson Hotel that support for the arts and cultural achievement in general, was in keeping with Republic Bank’s corporate social responsibility objectives, including in the areas of cultural revitalisation and education. De Souza noted that by showcasing the achievements of the region’s finest literary artists, the Bank hoped to contribute to inspiring a new generation of writers and intellectuals.

“The knowledge of our past should serve to enlighten us and to illuminate the way forward. This is especially true as it relates to our shared Caribbean culture and heritage. Over the years, we in the Caribbean have made great strides, culturally, intellectually and in our development as a people; we must make every effort to pass this on to coming generations. We can do this through literature, and the power of literature to inspire achievement, such as we see so well expressed here in Sugar in the Blood, must never be underestimated.”

The Evening’s offerings included an interview of Stuart by experienced broadcaster and radio personality Carol Roberts, select readings, and an opportunity for guests to acquire their own signed copies of the critically acclaimed novel.

Published 2012, Sugar in the Blood followed two other book’s by Stuart: Showgirls, a collective biography of showgirls from Colette, to Marlene Dietrich to Madonna, which was adapted into a two-part documentary for the Discovery Channel in 1998 and has since inspired a theatrical show, a contemporary dance piece and a number of burlesque performances; and her second book, The Rose of Martinique: A Biography of Napoleon's Josephine, which has been translated into several languages and won the Enid McLeod Literary Prize in 2004.

Sugar in the Blood was shortlisted for the 2013 OCM Bocas Prize in the non-fiction category and for the Spear's Book Award, and was the Boston Globe′s non-fiction book of 2013.

In June 2014, Stuart was named by Ebony magazine as one of "six Caribbean writers you should take some time to discover”.