Local author pens new book on African culture

As part of Emancipation celebrations, local author Athalyah Yisrael launched a book, inviting African families to go beyond freedom from chains and toward freedom of identity and spiritual remembrance.

The new book was launched at the ACDA Emancipation Festival. Her debut work, the Creator’s 7 Holy Appointed Seasons: A Practical Guide for African Families in the Diaspora, encourages readers to return to the divine calendar laid out in the Holy Bible, one that existed long before colonialism and slavery.

“It’s not about religion.

“When you know who you are, you look for someone who also knows. That’s how legacy is built…this book is a call to return if we want to say we are truly emancipated,” Yisrael told the News Room on Friday.

She added, “It’s about remembering. It’s about restoring what was buried in the calendar.”

She said the book equips readers with tools to observe the Creator’s original holy seasons—outlined in Leviticus 23—and to reclaim a way of life centered on divine timing, family unity, and cultural truth.

“I began writing this in 2018,” Yisrael shared. “Now, as a mother of four, I feel more grounded. I’ve matured. I realize now [that] our children will do exactly what we do. And if we don’t know who we are, they won’t either.”

She describes her journey as deeply personal. Much of her writing was done when her children were asleep and she could reconnect with her purpose.

Together with her husband, Gabriel Yisrael, she co-founded Outliers Zone Caribbean in 2018, empowering over 17,000 Guyanese families through programs on Financial Independence, Early Retirement, and Legacy Building.

Now, she is expanding that mission from economic liberation to spiritual alignment. The book launch at the Craft Section of the National Park was met with curiosity and conversation. Attendees asked thoughtful questions, connected with the message, and reflected on how much of their culture has been forgotten.

“It was amazing.

“People were asking questions. I feel so fulfilled—it’s doing exactly what it was meant to do,” she said.

As part of the launch celebration, the first 12 copies of the book were sold at a special price of $4,000 (the regular price is $4,500). Visitors also had the chance to meet the author and get insight into the movement behind the message.