Film-Maker Lennie Little-White Produces First Book 'Pathways'

While putting the final touches on Pathways, his first book, film-maker Lennie Little-White thought P. J. Patterson would be the perfect person to write its foreword.

Lennie Little-White (right) presents a copy of his book, Pathways, to former Jamaica prime minister P.J. Patterson at his residence in Kingston, JamaicaThe former Jamaica prime minister and Little-White are both from Somerton, a district in rural St. James parish, western Jamaica. Rubertha Little-White, Little-White’s mother, was a primary school teacher who taught Patterson and Jimmy Cliff, her cousin, who is also from Somerton.

Six days before its release, Little-White presented a copy of Pathways to 90 year-old Patterson, who served as Jamaica’s sixth prime minister from 1992 to 2006. Little-White, whose credits include the 1980 movie Children of Babylon and the soap opera, Royal Palm Estate, also produced a biography on Patterson.

Pathways is a collection of writings and photographs he compiled while recovering from brain surgery six years ago to correct partial facial muscular paralysis.

Little-White, 78, was encouraged to write daily as part of his therapy. Many of those musings were shared with members of a whatsapp group who encouraged him to assemble them for a book.

“What started as mental therapy after a major operation in 2019, has found favor with my family and friends. It feels like the satisfying completion of a long, creative journey,” he said.