Minister Hyde Says Assad Shoman Went Too Far With Controversial Book Cover

Deputy Prime Minister Cordel Hyde says Assad Shoman went too far in choosing the image for the cover of the Sapphire Edition of A History of Belize in Thirteen Chapters. Speaking yesterday, Hyde said Shoman’s work already commands public interest and did not need a controversial cover to attract attention. His comments add another voice to the debate over the book’s use of the 1907 colonial Coat of Arms.

Cordel Hyde, Deputy Prime Minister: “I really don’t like it. I think that Assad could have left well alone. He really didn’t need to go there. He doesn’t need to go there to boost interest in his book, to provoke reaction. The truth of the matter is that any new book from Assad and any reprint of any book from Assad is a must read. He really should have left well alone. He really shouldn’t have gone there. I think he went too far and just makes me wonder.”

The National Kriol Council has objected to the depiction of the Black figures, saying their exaggerated features recall racist caricatures used to demean people of African descent. The Council has called on Shoman and the publisher to explain the choice and reconsider the imagery. The new edition was launched at Angelus Press on October ninth.  Shoman has defended the cover as a reproduction of the original 1907 Royal Warrant image, intended to provoke discussion about Belize’s colonial past. Culture Minister Francis Fonseca has acknowledged the concerns but said he understands Shoman’s intention to encourage reflection on that history. Hyde, however, believes the author could have made his contribution without using the disputed image.