Beautiful Virgin Islands

Friday, Jan 23, 2026

HLSCC's Virgin Islands studies institute collaborates with local author to launch illustrated book

HLSCC's Virgin Islands studies institute collaborates with local author to launch illustrated book

Director of the HLSCC’s Virgin Islands Studies Institute, Mrs. Bernadine Louis is collaborating with principal author and past HLSCC student, Gabrielle Skelton Bardo to co-author Book Two – Eastern Tortola of the Illustrated History of the Virgin Islands Series. The book’s cover and some of the content that will be included was recently shared at a book reveal event.
The series which will comprise of six (6) volumes with illustrations, cover each of the main islands and the outlying cays. Book two of the series will be launched later in the year.

Mrs. Louis said, “This project showcases the value of the Institute’s work to the community, as the Institute is a major source of information on Virgin Islands history and culture and can also provide research assistance and guidance for projects of this nature.”

Minister for Education, Culture, Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr. the Hon. Natalio Wheatley and President of the HLSCC, local author and poet laureate, Dr. Richard Georges both attended the event and gave encouraging remarks.

The six volumed project consists of a team of individuals throughout the community. In an editorial capacity, the team includes local historian, education stalwart and acclaimed author, Dr. Quincy Lettsome and HLSCC lecturer, Mrs. Medita Wheatley.

Vice-Chair of the HLSCC’s Board of Governors and Executive Director of Unite BVI, Dr. L Sauda Smith is also a mentor to the Book series project.

In addition to the book series project, a “Territorial doll” initiative was introduced with a team of young entrepreneurs including Local Designer, Kristin Frazer; Local Illustrators, Dwayne Mactavious and Jehiah Maduro; Zoe Walcott; Local Artist, Joseph Hodge and April Glasgow are also part of the project team.

Book one, authored by Gabrielle Skelton Bardo and illustrated by David Thrasher covers Central Tortola and was published in July of 2020. It highlights the territorial symbols and major historical landmarks in Road Town and the surrounding areas with eye-catching illustrations that can be coloured.

Territorial symbols such as the bird, tree, and dish; as well as landmarks such as Old Administration Building, Sir Olva Georges Plaza, Cottage Hospital/Peebles Hospital (now Dr. D. Orlando Smith Hospital), Old Her Majesty’s Prison, Sunday Morning Well, and more are included.

The Series will continue to highlight the historical and cultural information of the BVI elementary level curriculum.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Prince William to Make Official Visit to Saudi Arabia in February
Prince Harry Breaks Down in London Court, Says UK Tabloids Have Made Meghan Markle’s Life ‘Absolute Misery’
Malin + Goetz UK Business Enters Administration, All Stores Close
EU and UK Reject Trump’s Greenland-Linked Tariff Threats and Pledge Unified Response
UK Deepfake Crackdown Puts Intense Pressure on Musk’s Grok AI After Surge in Non-Consensual Explicit Images
Prince Harry Becomes Emotional in London Court, Invokes Memory of Princess Diana in Testimony Against UK Tabloids
UK Inflation Rises Unexpectedly but Interest Rate Cuts Still Seen as Likely
Starmer Steps Back from Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ Amid Strained US–UK Relations
Prince Harry’s Lawyer Tells UK Court Daily Mail Was Complicit in Unlawful Privacy Invasions
UK Government Approves China’s ‘Mega Embassy’ in London Amid Debate Over Security and Diplomacy
Trump Cites UK’s Chagos Islands Sovereignty Shift as Justification for Pursuing Greenland Acquisition
UK Government Weighs Australia-Style Social Media Ban for Under-Sixteens Amid Rising Concern Over Online Harm
Trump Aides Say U.S. Has Discussed Offering Asylum to British Jews Amid Growing Antisemitism Concerns
UK Seeks Diplomatic De-escalation with Trump Over Greenland Tariff Threat
Prince Harry Returns to London as High Court Trial Begins Over Alleged Illegal Tabloid Snooping
High-Speed Train Collision in Southern Spain Kills at Least Twenty-One and Injures Scores
Meghan Markle May Return to the U.K. This Summer as Security Review Advances
Trump’s Greenland Tariff Threat Sparks EU Response and Risks Deep Transatlantic Rift
Prince Harry’s High Court Battle With Daily Mail Publisher Begins in London
Trump’s Tariff Escalation Presents Complex Challenges for the UK Economy
UK Prime Minister Starmer Rebukes Trump’s Greenland Tariff Strategy as Transatlantic Tensions Rise
Prince Harry’s Last Press Case in UK Court Signals Potential Turning Point in Media and Royal Relations
OpenAI to Begin Advertising in ChatGPT in Strategic Shift to New Revenue Model
GDP Growth Remains the Most Telling Barometer of Britain’s Economic Health
Prince William and Kate Middleton Stay Away as Prince Harry Visits London Amid Lingering Rift
Britain Braces for Colder Weather and Snow Risk as Temperatures Set to Plunge
Mass Protests Erupt as UK Nears Decision on China’s ‘Mega Embassy’ in London
Prince Harry to Return to UK to Testify in High-Profile Media Trial Against Associated Newspapers
Keir Starmer Rejects Trump’s Greenland Tariff Threat as ‘Completely Wrong’
Trump to hit Europe with 10% tariffs until Greenland deal is agreed
Prince Harry Returns to UK High Court as Final Privacy Trial Against Daily Mail Publisher Begins
Britain Confronts a Billion-Pound Wind Energy Paradox Amid Grid Constraints
The graduate 'jobpocalypse': Entry-level jobs are not shrinking. They are disappearing.
Cybercrime, Inc.: When Crime Becomes an Economy. How the World Accidentally Built a Twenty-Trillion-Dollar Criminal Economy
The Return of the Hands: Why the AI Age Is Rewriting the Meaning of “Real Work”
UK PM Kier Scammer Ridicules Tories With "Kamasutra"
Strategic Restraint, Credible Force, and the Discipline of Power
United Kingdom and Norway Endorse NATO’s ‘Arctic Sentry’ Mission Including Greenland
Woman Claiming to Be Freddie Mercury’s Secret Daughter Dies at Forty-Eight After Rare Cancer Battle
UK Launches First-Ever ‘Town of Culture’ Competition to Celebrate Local Stories and Boost Communities
Planned Sale of Shell and Exxon’s UK Gas Assets to Viaro Energy Collapses Amid Regulatory and Market Hurdles
UK Intensifies Arctic Security Engagement as Trump’s Greenland Rhetoric Fuels Allied Concern
Meghan Markle Could Return to the UK for the First Time in Nearly Four Years If Security Is Secured
Meghan Markle Likely to Return to UK Only if Harry Secures Official Security Cover
UAE Restricts Funding for Emiratis to Study in UK Amid Fears Over Muslim Brotherhood Influence
EU Seeks ‘Farage Clause’ in Brexit Reset Talks to Safeguard Long-Term Agreement Stability
Starmer’s Push to Rally Support for Action Against Elon Musk’s X Faces Setback as Canada Shuns Ban
UK Free School Meals Expansion Faces Political and Budgetary Delays
EU Seeks ‘Farage Clause’ in Brexit Reset Talks With Britain
Germany Hit by Major Airport Strikes Disrupting European Travel
×