Journalist debuts with book exploring identity and migration in rural Trinidad

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Author and journalist, Ryan Bachoo poses with this mother and father, to whom his debut novel is dedicated
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By Elesha George
[email protected]

After 15 years as a journalist, 35-year-old Ryan Bachoo has ventured into the literary world with his debut novel, a heartfelt ode to West Indian literature and the Caribbean experience. Inspired by his childhood love of storytelling and the colourful characters of his South Trinidad village, Bachoo’s first book entitled “An Unending Search” takes readers on a journey of self-discovery, cultural exploration, and resilience.

Set in the late 1970s in rural Princes Town, the novel follows the story of Tar, a 15-year-old boy whose nickname stems from the teasing remarks about his dark skin. Tar works in the canefields under the guidance of Uncle Sundar, an elder who sees the racial and class struggles in their community and urges Tar to escape to the “promised land” of New York or London.

“Along the way in this journey, he encounters racism, classism. The book confronts those themes head on,” Bachoo explained. “But it’s also a journey of self-discovery of this young teenage boy trying to find both himself and his place in the world.”

The journey to publish this book has been almost as compelling as the story itself. Bachoo, Guardian Media’s Lead Editor, began writing the manuscript in 2009, finishing the first draft in 2014, but financial challenges and self-doubt kept it on hold for nearly a decade. Resuming his writing in 2023, he enlisted the help of a copy editor, reworked the structure and spent 2024 rewriting large portions of the novel.

“My writing had matured. I had matured as both a person and both as a writer,” Bachoo reflected. “I could see the stark differences when I read what I had written in 2009 between 2009 and 2014. You know, it sounded amateurish. It sounded like a young person now getting to write, and you know, my writing was vastly different 10 years later.”

Bachoo credits his career in journalism for shaping his storytelling. “I think being a journalist for the last 15 years did help to get this book over the line because you’ve seen so many stories and told so many stories of people and characters and villages and communities across your country and that I was able to adapt those experiences into the book,” he said.

Targeted at readers aged 14 and up, the book is a testament to the enduring legacy of West Indian literature. “I really want to be able to help the Caribbean audience reconnect with West Indian literature on a scale that was like back then in the 70s and 80s with VS Naipaul and, Walcott, and George Lamming, and Michael Anthony, and Samuel Sullivan,” Bachoo shared.

Despite being rooted in the unique culture of South Trinidad, Bachoo believes the book’s themes will resonate broadly across the Caribbean. “Caribbean communities are so interconnected, are so similar culturally, physically, sometimes infrastructurally, in some instances. And I think that this book is adaptable to many communities across our Caribbean region, and in it, our Caribbean people can find something of themselves.”

Dedicated to his parents, the novel is not only a personal milestone but also a love letter to the Caribbean, its people, and its literary legacy. Bachoo hopes his book will inspire a new generation to appreciate and celebrate West Indian literature in all its richness.

“An Unending Search” was officially launched at Hayes Court in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad on January 17.

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