The Extradition Saga: Grist for the Writer’s Mill

Friday, June 25, 2010

Normally, I’m not one to listen to the news. I’m exhausted by all the mayhem and murder. However, with what has been happening in Jamaica over the last ten months or so, I’ve had no choice but to sit up and pay attention. 

An extradition request by the U.S. has dragged on over these many months, resulting in a community being invaded by a combined police and military force on May 24. That operation resulted in the death of over seventy persons – this to serve a warrant on one individual.

I must have been among the few persons in Jamaica who underestimated the importance of Mr. Christopher Coke, the man at the centre of all this drama. I’m still a little bemused over all that has happened and have collected the newspaper articles surrounding this matter.

With everything that has been revealed since August 2009, including the fact that government ministers were involved in obstructing the process of extraditing Mr. Coke to the United States to face charges of drug and gun running, my writer’s mind has been churning.

The information I’ve gathered is enough material for about four novels. I’ve no doubt that other prolific Jamaican writers will already be thinking along the same lines as I am.  Talk about grist for the writer’s mill.

2 comments:

  1. Well, I hope you have success with it. My only warning is this: I have helped others edit other true-crime stories and some of the authors receive threats... But if you make it seem like fiction, it should be better.

    CD

    ReplyDelete
  2. Clarissa,

    I won't do this as a true crime story. I'm too lazy for that. :) I think this would make a rollicking action/adventure tale.

    ReplyDelete

Don't be shy, I'd love to hear what you think.