Lady Ruby Bute Silk Cotton Estate to launch “J’ouvert,” new bilingual poetry and autobiography collection

ST. MARTIN/ST. MAARTEN--The Lady Ruby Bute Silk Cotton Estate has announced the official launch of J’ouvert, a new bilingual collection of poetry and autobiography by the late Lady Ruby Bute, widely recognized as a pioneering voice in St. Martin, St. Maarten, and Caribbean literature and cultural heritage.

The launch event will be held on January 18 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, marking what would have been Lady Ruby Bute’s birthday on January 13. Organizers describe the gathering as an intimate cultural moment celebrating her enduring legacy as a poet, artist, and cultural visionary whose work continues to inspire across generations and borders.

Guests attending the launch will have the opportunity to:

• Discover the book J’ouvert
• Visit Lady Ruby Bute’s newly renovated art gallery and a selected art exhibition
• Explore her other published literary works

The English-French edition of J’ouvert was produced in partnership with the Les Fruits de Mer Association, with French translations by Alex Richards. This edition will be distributed to all lycée students, supported by the Prefecture of Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy and the Collectivité of Saint-Martin, ensuring Lady Ruby Bute’s poetry continues to engage and educate young readers in both languages.

An English-Dutch edition will also be shared with secondary school students in St. Maarten, translated by Wycliffe Smith with guidance from Linda Richardson and Henk Ankone, further extending the reach of Lady Ruby Bute’s literary voice and reinforcing her role as a cultural bridge between communities.

Rooted in the cultural soul of St. Martin and St. Maarten and resonating throughout the wider Caribbean, Lady Ruby Bute’s work explores themes of identity, memory, resilience, and artistic expression. The launch of J’ouvert is being positioned as a significant cultural milestone, reaffirming her place in island and regional literary history.

The public is invited to join in honoring and celebrating the literary and artistic legacy of Lady Ruby Bute, whose words and vision continue to shape cultural consciousness locally, regionally, and internationally.

‍