Meet the authors of Brer Anancy Press. Select a name to read their bio, or browse their books in our shop.
- Amina Blackwood Meeks, Ph.D.
- Sandra Campbell-Notice
- Terry Farnham
- Neto Meeks
- Claudia Nicholson, M.D.
- Kenneth A. Russell, Ed.D.
- V.S. Russell
- Humroy Whyte
Amina Blackwood Meeks, Ph.D.
Amina Blackwood Meeks, PhD, is an award-winning actress, writer and internationally acclaimed storyteller. She is the Founder/Artistic Director of Ntukuma, The Storytelling Foundation of Jamaica, and Founder/Director of Ananse SoundSplash, the annual storytelling conference and festival. She successfully petitioned for the proclamation of November 20 as National Storytelling Day and led the process for the proclamation of the last Friday in February as Jamaica Day for schools.
Confidently bilingual in English and Jamaican, Amina’s stories and workshops cover a range of issues affecting gender, the environment, children and the direction of human development. Her telling of these parables for the theatre renders her “an outrageous combination of education and entertainment, of glitz and thoughtfulness.” Her work in education, culture, the media and theatre is a revelation of her commitment to the recognition and utilization of the connection between the ancient wit and wisdom of the African ancestry and modern development imperatives.
Books by Amina Blackwood Meeks →
Sandra Campbell-Notice
Sandra Campbell-Notice is an educator and writer in Southern California. She is a graduate of Hunter College, New York, where she earned her BA in Education, and Cal Poly University, California, where she earned both her MA in Education and an Administrative Services Credential.
Her first children’s book, My Caribbean Grandma, is a tribute to her maternal grandmother and chronicles what it’s like growing up in a rural community on the island of Jamaica. She hopes the book will be an important contribution to discussions about diversity and cultural tolerance. When not spending time with her family, she reads, continues to be inspired by nature, and writes children’s books.
Books by Sandra Campbell-Notice →
Terry Farnham
Terry Farnham was born on 30 July 1953 in Los Angeles, California, and now lives in Sydney, Australia. Terry was named after the USS Terry, the destroyer on which their father served in the United States Coast Guard — a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship.
“I have always enjoyed good old-fashioned letter writing. I had many pen-pals throughout the world. I enjoy people and consider myself a people person who doesn’t know many strangers, just friends that I haven’t met. A lover of storytelling and memoirs, I believe that stories help make sense of the world, teach, and inspire others. To me stories keep the memories alive. I have been lucky in life. My good fortune has allowed me to travel the world and meet many amazing and extraordinary people. So lucky! I even had a horse named Lucky.”
Neto Meeks
Neto Meeks is the author of the poetry collection I’m A Hero.
Claudia Nicholson, M.D.
In her books, Dr Claudia Nicholson, an animal lover, brings to life the connectedness of all people and animals, and the contributions, enchantment and teachings that our doggie pets — those smiling furry superheroes — bring to our hearts, minds and souls. Claudia, a General Medical Practitioner and Yoga Instructor, lives in Sydney, Australia, with her husband Darrin and their two dachshunds, Stella and Fifi. She is well known for her enthusiasm for international adventure travel, sporting endeavors and plant-based cooking, and she remains positive about a sustainable future for planet earth.
Kenneth A. Russell, Ed.D.
Kenneth A. Russell, Ed.D., is the author of the family story-and-activity books Chill Time and Mom’s Surprise.
V.S. Russell
Mr. Russell hails from the hills of St. Ann, Jamaica. His admiration and respect for Jamaican folklore was the primary motivation for founding Brer Anancy & Friends, where he serves as Chief Executive Officer and Author. His first publication in the Brer Anancy Series — a children’s book series based on the African spider god Anancy — was published in 2012 to commemorate Jamaica’s 50th year of Independence.
Before Brer Anancy, Russell spent a number of years in senior management in the hospitality industry, working on corporate and product strategy. Early in his career he was an educator with the Ministry of Education in Jamaica. He has also worked in Accounts for Viceroy Hotel Group and Gemstone Resorts, and in Sales/PR for Sandals Resorts International. He is a graduate of Ferncourt High School and Excelsior Community College in Kingston, Jamaica, holds a BA in Theatre and Media Arts from the University of South Carolina, and a graduate certificate in The Business of Entertainment from UCLA. In his free time, he enjoys cooking and storytelling.
Humroy Whyte
Born in Jamaica, Humroy Whyte, M.A., is a poet-musician, artist, drama-in-education and theatre arts specialist, journalist and educator whose poems have been published in the Caribbean. He is a graduate of the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, London University Institute of Education, and Canterbury Christ Church University.
Whyte is a Jamaica 50 Award recipient from the Jamaican High Commission to the United Kingdom, in recognition of outstanding dedicated service to the Jamaican community in education and the performing arts. He works in inner-city schools in London, where he serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for an Academy Trust of Schools, and is a member of the Spring Village Association charitable committee.