Cecil Browne

This collection of short stories from the Caribbean and England brings to life characters who are part of Caribbean folklore.

Some serious, others delightfully humorous, the characters will remain with the reader for a long time. This book is essential reading for those interested in Caribbean folklore and history.

"Older readers will remember moonlit nights, perfect for 'ring play', during which an entire village enacted stories for its own entertainment," says Cecil. " 'Girl, go feather your tingaling,' we sang as children, not knowing the meaning, but too enraptured to ask, or taking the song as a little piece of nonsense to enliven a beautiful night. 'Brown-skin girl, stay home and mind baby!' we advised, at the top of our voices, repeating the chorus of a song whose origin was hazy even to our parents. In this book I've imagined the source of these two songs, and invented characters on whom the songs might have been based," says Cecil.

In Feather Your Tingaling who is the 'brown-skin' girl, and why does her 'sailor man' advise her to stay home and mind baby? Why is eighteen-year-old Helen Wiley's mother concerned when her daughter is late? After spending a night with Basil Lincoln, why does Lorna Toney feel lucky? When he finds thousands of dollars in a trunk in the mountain, why does Lionel burn the money? As a founding member of The Circuit, an organisation that meets every Saturday night in a small town to the west of London, Cunningham is shocked when new members suggest enlivening proceedings with a stripper. And finally, when fifteen-year old Melanie loses her aunt's cutlery in the river, why does her aunt's boyfriend suggest that she goes and 'feather her tingaling?'

The stories give a fresh insight into Caribbean life at home and abroad. "Even those familiar with Caribbean literature and folklore will find something new and surprising here. The stories are modern and draw on the eclectic mix that define the West Indies," adds Cecil.

About the Author

Cecil Browne was born in St Vincent and the Grenadines in 1957. He attended Byera Anglican School and the Boys Grammar School. In 1970 he left for England to join his parents. He has been a lecturer for twenty-seven years, ten as Head of Maths in a College of Further Education. His first book, The Moon Is Following Me, was published in 2010. He is married, with two children.