We Were Not Kings

Robert de la Chevotière always felt that he had a story to tell, be it through poetry, short stories, song, or fiction. His own story is one of migration. Born in Dominica, he and his mother moved to Guadeloupe shortly after Hurricane David crippled the island. Several years later, they moved to Bermuda. In terms of language, customs, music, food, and socioeconomics, the cultural variation gifted Robert with a cross-cultural understanding of places and people. He now calls Halifax, Nova Scotia, home, where he has been an educator in the public school system for nearly twenty years. To Robert, writing is political, the same way it has been transportive and influential in his own awakening. When not writing, reading, or being a hands-on dad, Robert enjoys video calls with his family scattered around the globe, playing soccer, and enjoying all things of his beloved Arsenal FC. For more information, visit www.robdelabooks.com.

“A deeply moving novel that fearlessly explores the complexities of brotherhood, masculinity, colourism, and what it takes to carve out a good life despite the traumas that follow you. Robert de la Chevotière’s writing is luminous and devastatingly magnetic, a mark of a brilliant storyteller we should all keep our eyes on.” —Mai Nguyen, New York Times bestselling author of Sunshine Nails