Books published by Hansib Publications Limited

Carl Wright has devoted his entire working life to global action through grass roots activism and international diplomacy. During the past fifty years he engaged with world leaders and political icons from across the globe, including Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Indira Gandhi, Julius Nyerere, Shridath Ramphal, Fidel Castro, Aung San Suu Kyi, Ban Ki-Moon, Cyril Ramaphosa, Helen Clark and Bob Hawke. In these and many other encounters, he reflects his experiences of, ''What it was like to be there,'' as he puts it. Having made official visits to some 100 countries - from developed to developing nations, to fragile states and countries undergoing democratic transition - he has seen first-hand what is required to implement good governance. These high-level missions included most of the 54 nations of the Commonwealth, along with some of the world''s least visited countries, such as Moldova, Myanmar and South Sudan. Written from the perspective of a grassroots activist, Commonwealth diplomat and local government leader, these recollections provide rare insights into the relationships between inter-governmental organisations, global associations of mayors and trade unions, and the effects of political and social advocacy. In his writing he draws extensively on his experiences of working in the Commonwealth, the United Nations and the European Union at senior level. Perhaps most significant is his long-standing involvement with the anti-apartheid struggle, and he recalls with great sensitivity the many challenges he and others faced. Carl Wright''s personal and candid book delivers a critical message: the need for global understanding and co-operation. With the rise of political populists, authoritarian strongmen and violent extremists, he implores us to strengthen fragile international relations and mitigate the threat of conflict which is currently real and ever-present. In her Foreword, Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, says: ''His record in actively promoting internationalism over fifty years ... makes for inspiring reading.''

Leadership culture is like a multi-layered quilt spun with strands of human DNA, conditioning and habits. And this book deals with the differences, perspectives, priorities, human nature and cultures that are as variable as the cells in the human body. Many leaders, and prospective leaders, confuse personality with the job and think of their team as underlings to be dominated. This book differentiates between ''command culture'' and ''service culture'', ''inclusiveness and exclusiveness'', ego, and the spirit. Conflict between positional and relational leadership is highlighted with an emphasis on how to improve relationships. Leadership is not a popularity contest. Who is a leader? What makes or breaks a leader? What are the strengths and weaknesses? How do we build teams with trust and understanding? What does an effective leader look like and how can we cultivate one? This book answers these and many other questions.

Scraping together, life was hard in the village, made harder by unemployment. Factory-made goods from Britain had long replaced India''s traditional arts. Factory-made textiles replaced weaving in the villages. The British, with their naked capitalism, destroyed the villagers'' looms, their livelihood. Not to mention the winters, turbulent monsoons, droughts and famines in equal measure, kept them pinned down in poverty.

From as early as he could remember, Derick Sylvester had set his sights on becoming a lawyer and to fight injustice. Throughout this autobiography, Sylvester presents unique insights into the trial process and he reflects upon the many cases in which he has been involved. Trials of a Trial Lawyer traces the journey of Derick Sylvester''s life to date and explores the many experiences that have influenced his progression into the lawyer we see today. Written in his own words, this autobiography is emotive, engaging and reflects his empathy for the human condition, his passion for the law and his never-ending quest for justice.

The revolutionary act of imprinting gender into Caribbean thought is celebrated by Patricia Mohammed as she brings together decades worth of her critical essays that have influenced directions in feminism and in social thinking. In the face of narratives that cast shadows on the value of evolutionary progress, Mohammed encourages us to take pause and recognise how far gender scholars and feminists have come in leaving the world more gender equitable than we found it.

Growing up in British Guiana in the 1920s, Marcus Gullant was restless and ambitious and generally misunderstood by his peers. He felt unsuited to the slow pace of village life and always sought adventure and purpose. As a young man, his attentions were drawn to Teresa, one of the village elite. But her status, and that of her family, was beyond his reach. How would he be able to contest her love? His solution was to become a soldier in the British Army. Matters of the heart are rarely straightforward, and for Marcus there was no exception.