CHERISSE L BERKELEY

Fed up of the same traditional folklore stories? A new book of short stories filled with local folklore is here: Joey Bartlett's book There's Something Strange Happening in Talparo.

Bartlett, 30, of Arima, describes himself as the owner of a haberdashery company that curates local culture. His company specialises in an array of cosmetic and personal care products such as a body oil he named Canboulay, and a perfume he named Papayo.

Bartlett was raised in Talparo and moved to Arima when he was 20. The second of four children, he describes himself as "not your typical middle child."

Jokingly, he said, "I am my parents' favourite child."

Describing his childhood, he said it was rich in First People's culture, as his mother Lorna Nicole Bartlett is a direct descendant of the First People of TT. She is a nurse and he described his father Robert Gittens as a jack of all trades with African heritage.

Bartlett's education was aimed at psychology and social work. He first attended Talparo RC Primary School, then went on to Curepe Junior Secondary, and Arima Senior Comprehensive schools. He received a diploma in social work from UWI Open Campus before studying psychology at the University of the Southern Caribbean.

His education was not aimed at it, but he always wanted to write. He said he has dabbled in writing for his entire life and in his younger years thought he would be writing poetry.

Asked about his love for folklore, he said, "I have always had a fascination with spooky stuff.

"I first learned the folklore stories at the Faith United Ministries of Talparo Pentecostal church camp."

He doesn't believe in religion, but said, "I believe in a higher power."

The author has a list of inspirations that include Stephen King, James Patterson, Wes Craven and Alfred Hitchcock.

[caption id="attachment_946273" align="alignnone" width="683"] Joey Bartlett author of There's Something Strange Happening in Talparo folklore stories hopes to see more local folklore included in Halloween. "I would like to see more traditional characters when people dress up." -[/caption]

"I think I have my own signature in writing but I think they inspired and pushed me to think outside of the box and to see the value of the horror-surrealism genre.

Bartlett said when he is not spending his time advocating for the preservation of culture or building his business, he works at perfecting his skill as a hobbyist photographer.

The lover of all things spooky spoke of his liking for nonsensical nursery rhymes. He also hopes to see more local folklore included in Halloween. "I would like to see more traditional characters when people dress up."

On his inspiration for the book he said, "After speaking with a friend, we noted there are no cultural museums in TT, and complaining without a solution is counterproductive.

"I see the failure of various governments for missed opportunities to preserve culture."

He suggested, for example, a museum solely dedicated to past winners of Carnival that features kings