Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Guyleigh Johnson on the release of her second book, Afraid of the Dark, which was launched this past January.
In Afraid of the Dark, Guyleigh, who is from Dartmouth North, blends poetry and prose to present the experience of Kahlua Thomas, a 16-year-old African Nova Scotian girl living in Halifax. Kahlua doesn't know her father and has a hard relationship with her mother. Throughout the book, Kahlua relates to the reader, in often-graphic and heartbreaking detail, her experience of growing up and struggling with being Black in Nova Scotia. At times she hates it; at other times, she's proud of her heritage and community. Eventually she finds solace in her Grade 10 English class, where she writes through her feelings.
Afraid of the Dark is Guyleigh's second publication, a follow-up to her debut book, Expect the Unexpected. It's a wonderfully written, beautiful book.
Along with being an accomplished writer, Guyleigh is a leader in our community and often works with youth in our neighbourhood. Last year, she was awarded one of the inaugural African Nova Scotian Communities Ancestral Roots Awards in arts and culture.
I ask the House to join me in congratulating Guyleigh Johnson on her accomplishment with the release and success of Afraid of the Dark.