Even though he hasn’t published new works for years, Amandala Publisher Evan X Hyde is Belize’s most prolific writer with his weekly editorials and ‘From the Publisher Column.’ And while pushing those out twice a week has kept him busy, his long hiatus from long-form writing ended today when he released a new book. It’s named “Sports, Sin and Subversion” and it is the remembrance of a sporting life. For this revolutionary writer, turned newspaperman, it’s his first original collection of writing in probably three decades.
And while X Hyde confesses that he never played sports at the highest level, he lived it, from being a fan of the teams at the Seminal Edwards Park which is now Roger’s Stadium, to managing football teams in the 70’s, to owning the basketball Raiders in the 90’s. But more than just discussing
his own involvement, the book is written to try and create some kind of record of great sportsmen in Belize from Ludwig Lightburn and Fitzroy Guiseppi in boxing to Garrincha Adderley and Harry Straddle Cadle in football.
And while it is not a historical retelling, it is for the record, setting down in writing the oral tradition of sports stories, the conversations that are usually held across bleachers and upon bar stools where legends are born and community heroes are jealously claimed. But it is not a statistical retelling of their accomplishments, it is an account of how they made sports fans fee to root for a team or players who were so special, so singular that by just riding with them, it said something about the fan who cheered at their accomplishments, got cold seed at their feats of sporting perfection, and wept when they were defeated.
The book was launched today and X Hyde said he did it to tribute those who had inspired him.
Evan X Hyde, Author
“It was a bridge I think from all this politics and you know just a transition I think in my life to try do some writing, some serious writing. In a way I the pay respect to all the people who add so much spice and flavour to my life because money isn’t everything in life. I enjoy my life and I live an exciting life and I meet lot of people who I like and who like me too so that is what it is all about, doing on to others and competing with others and a lot of people who are on the street right now who don’t have money, they are really great stars to me.”
Adele Ramos,
What was the hardest part in it for you?
Evan X Hyde,
“Just to, you know the columns and the editorials they kind of just have a limited thing but this is a journey which you didn’t know when it would end so I think after all the years of just the columns and things which were confined, I have to open up my heart and my soul and my real being inside of being one of those bogus politicians. So it is a move away from back to the real. Now the real risky because when I was real I was bruk bad.”
The book is produced by Ramos Publishing and is available wherever books are sold for $20.
