Panafricanist

Patrick Augustus is the first British-born author of African descent (by way of his Jamaican parentage) to realise his novel, BabyFather, being adapted for a major TV series.Augustus is also an educator, specialising in tutoring behaviourally disaffected children in music. He also conducts music and creative workshops for prisons.In addition to these accomplishments Augustus is also a professional musician of stature with a first rate reputation in his field. He has composed and produced material recorded by Caron Wheeler, Juliet Roberts, Papa Levi, Jocelyn Brown and others. His 2001 album, Pan In Dub (released under his musical alter ego Pan-Africanist) became the first album release by independent label Ariwa to be nominated for a Grammy.More immediately, however, Augustus’ BabyFather book series is a phenomenon in the twilight world of Black book publishing and garnered him an international reputation long before the BBC purchased the rights to his novel from his publishers, Xpress Books. Augustus has used the BBC’s adaptation of his BabyFather stories for a TV drama series as a springboard for an ongoing critique of the British media and its role in the propagation of untruthful myths and misleading representations of Britain’s Black community.The BBC has syndicated the BabyFather TV series to a host of countries across the globe, including Canada, Belgium, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Germany and cable in the USA. The first series of BabyFather is presently being repeated in Jamaica, following a highly successful run during its debut during October 2003.Meantime, Augustus has secured an executive role in the production of the movie adaptation of his hit novel When A Man Loves A Woman. The film will set a precedent as the first movie about the lives of Caribbean people living in Britain to be geared to the sensibilities of an international audience.Augustus is set to publish his first children’s illustrated novel, The Orphaned Lion, and is presently writing new material and is also set to release an audio book version of BabyFather3.Augustus recently contributed to the Greater London Authority’s debate on asylum seekers at City Hall on a round table forum which included Lee Jasper, Race Advisor to the Mayor of London, and Simon Hughes MP. He has also conducted the latest workshop of his BabyFather Alliance Roadshow in Leeds, Yorkshire. The BabyFather Alliance is the charity forum which provides support for parents and hosts workshops which facilitate education and social mobility tutorials for disaffected youths. Augustus completed his latest series of prison tutorial workshops at Feltham Young Offenders institution during May 2006.Augustus has completed his latest literary offerings, Weekend Fathers aka The Survival Kit For Absent Fathers and Don’t Make Me Laugh, a literacy enhancement initiative in conjunction with the Arts Council, launched under the auspices of Prime Minister Tony Blair MP on World Book Day (March 2) 2006. Augustus also recently fulfilled the duties of TV show co-host for the filming of the pilot of VIBE, the contemporary music showcase by BlackCurrent Entertainment, which is set to wreck shop on British TV screens during Summer 2007. Augustus is set to accompany his Classic Soul Vintage Reggae band, Elements, on an engagement at the St Lucia Jazz Festival in Antigua during May 2007.www.barnardos.org.uk www.passionet.net