A young Canadian author has taken one of his most exciting experiences in The Bahamas and has penned a new hard-cover book, “Pigs Of Paradise,” which chronicles the phenomena of a herd of swimming pigs who call The Exumas home.
Eight months after deciding to embark on what he called an “ambitious journey,” Canadian author T.R. Todd, has officially launched his hard-cover publication.
“The book looks at the origins of the pigs and a deep history of Exuma itself,” Todd explained.
“It looks at the start of the campaign about the swimming pigs when the attraction first launched back in 2014 and its explosion of popularity via TV shows, magazines and celebrities who also fell in love with the attraction.”
News of the swimming pigs has already spread as far as Asia, and according to Robert Sands, Senior Vice President of Administration and External Relations at Baha Mar; even the Asian market is teeming with excitement about them.
Sands recently returned from a marketing trip in Asia and revealed that the single most asked question in terms of an excursion to their trip was the swimming pigs’ attraction.
“I think that is testimony to how important that has been to attracting additional tourists to The Exumas and as an add-on to the tourism experience in New Providence.
“It’s very commendable.”
Todd noted that the swimming pigs in Exuma have notably become a world-wide favorite, and their story is now about to take flight as ‘Pigs of Paradise’ will debut on bookshelves in North America ahead of the holiday season.
Skyhorse Publishing, a New York publisher, is responsible for the book’s printing and distribution.
“The distributors, both in the United States and Canada, have been very generous and have made very large purchases and so it’s in bookstores now in North America ahead of the holiday season,” Todd said.
“So, as people are doing their holiday shopping this holiday season The Bahamas and the swimming pigs will be front and center.”
Baha Mar and Atlantis will also be stocking the book, Todd confirmed.
The young author revealed that the process, from start to completion, was a challenging one.
He wants to use the experience, and its end result, as an inspiration to budding writers.
“No ideas are bad ideas. Sometimes, sitting down and just getting started is the hardest part,” he said.
“When I first started writing this I didn’t like it. I wasn’t happy with the first couple chapters and I really had to go back and read it again and write it again; and then it happened.
“So, don’t be discouraged, keep going and ask advice and just have confidence in your idea.”
The book release precedes a documentary on the swimming pigs attraction.
The film will be showcased at the closing night of the Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF) in December.
