(Posted 27th July 2026)
Books about a country, its history, political development or legislative and
legal framework always makes libraries across the world more complete
and a more solid research centre.
In the years when the Seychelles was still a British Colony a collection of
two historical book were written by Dr. John T. Bradley, a medical
practitioner whose love for the islands pushed him to author two books
one marking the French era and a second one on the British era. His two
books ‘The History of Seychelles’ Volume 1 & 11 published in 1940 have
become collectors’ items and are still used today in a many a
Seychellois home as a reference book.
Historically then came the book by Archivist A W. T. Webb. His book
became a document used in schools around the Seychelles for teaching
the history of the islands. His tabular format, and his style were accepted
by teachers as an easy-to-understand style for local history.
In 1952 F. D. Ommanney published through Longmans, Green and Co
the book ‘The Shoals of Capricorn’.
Tourism pictorial books by Richard Touboul, Claude Pavard, Marcel
Fayon, Gabriel (Gaby) Hoareau and Amin, Willetts and Skerrett all
became souvenir documents for visitors, and to date, they remain very
much the only ones that have captured the beauty of the islands and the
diversity that exists between the 115 islands of this archipelago. Leslie
Thomas published ‘A World of Islands’ and Maryse Eichler published
‘Island Homes’ on old Seychelles homes and buildings. Michael Adams
published ‘Island Souls of the Seychelles’ and a second one ‘Micheal
Adams, Conversations in Colour’.
Political Books by the founding Sir James Mancham, the founding
President of Seychelles, (PARADISE RAPED, Seychelles Global Citizen
among others), by France Albert Rene, the island’s second President
who was Prime Minister at the time of the Independence of Seychelles,
(THE TORCH OF FREEDOM, Portrait of a Struggle, The New Era), by
James A. Michel, who became the 3rd President, published ‘Island
Nation in a Global Sea, A Man of The People, and by Dr Maxime Ferrari,
a Minister in the 1st and 2nd Republic who published ‘Sunshine and
Shadows – Personal Story’ all reflect political patterns and pushed their
ideology along party lines.
In 1968 Athol Thomas published ‘Forgotten Eden – A view of the
Seychelles Islands’ and in 1969 Christian Zuber published ‘Le Petit
Prince des Iles Seychelles’. In 1973 a Seychelles visitors’ guide was
written by Harry Miller and published by Farange Ltd of London. The
Ministry of Education and Information of Seychelles through a Mr Filliot
of the Ministry of Cooperation of France also published in 1982 a book
with the title ‘Histoire des Seychelles’.
James R. Mancham also published three referenced books entitled:
‘Who’s Who in Seychelles, Seychelles Personalities of Yesterday and
Seychelles Images of Yesterday’.
In 1909 Mr A. A. Fauvel by order of the Governor of Seychelles compiled
what has become known as the ‘Unpublished Documents’ on the history
of the Seychelles for the period after 1810.
The book ‘The Seychelles’ by Guy Lionnet, who as a Director of
Agriculture that formed part of ‘The Islands Series’ published by DAVID
& CHARLES (Publishers) Limited. Guy Lionnet also published the books
‘A Short History of the Seychelles’ and The Romance of a Palm: Coco
de Mer. and the series of 4 books by historian William (Bill) McAteer
(Rivals in Eden, Rivals in Eden, Hard Times in Paradise and To Be A
Nation, and a Coffee Table Book ‘Echoes of Eden’.
Gilbert Pool, who was Communication Advisor and Special Advisor with
France Albert Rene after the re-introduction of multi-party democracy
published ‘Seychelles from the Heart’ on France Albert Rene. He also
published Shinning Through, Sensum and Nou – The wonderful world of
Seychelles Creoles”.
The South African Mercenary invasion of Seychelles of 1981 saw three
books published that gave a detailed insight of that event. The
Seychelles Ministry of Education and Information publish ‘Livre Blanc de
L’Agression du 25 Novembre 1981 contre La Republique Des
Seychelles’, Mike Hoare published in 1986 his take on the invasion he
personally led under the title of ‘The Seychelles Affair’, Aubrey Brooks
published ‘Death Row in Paradise’ and Col Jerry Puren through Brian
Pottinger published ‘Mercenary Commander’.
Robert Smyth publishes in the year 2000 a book about the brothers who
were teaching in Seychelles. His book ‘Mission FIC aux Iles Seychelles’
covers that era in great detail.
Francis E. MacGregor, who was Speaker of the National Assembly
published in 2004 the book ‘A Parliamentary of Seychelles’. Marsha
Parcou on her part published ‘Becoming a Fanm Fasinasyon’.
Julien Durup, a respected archivist published in 2009 ‘History of La
Digue, in 2013 ‘The Seychelles Islands and Its First Landowners 1786 –
1833’ and Dr. Alain St.Ange who was the Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation,
Ports & Marine of Seychelles published a number of books: – Seychelles
What Next?, Seychelles In Search of Democracy published alongside
Bernard Georges, Seychelles The Cry of A People, before publishing a
Coffee Table Book on the life of his father with the title ‘Seychelles
Remembers Karl St.Ange’.
He also published a number of tourism industry-based books working
with Glynn Burridge from the Seychelles Tourism Board: – Seychelles
The 2010 Regatta, Seychelles Enters the World of Carnivals, Seychelles
The Coco De Mer, Seychelles Festival of the Sea, Seychelles State
House and Seychelles Unexpected Treasures before publishing his
Family History Book ‘Alain & Ginette St.Ange – Family Ties’, his
autobiography Alain St.Ange – My Journey, and a comprehensive
political book ‘Alain St.Ange – My Journey Life & Times in Politics’ that
covers the French & British era in great detail ending with the
Presidential Elections of 2020.
Kevin Shillington published a biography on Albert Rene with the title
‘Albert Rene, The Father of Modern Seychelles’ and Pascal Viroleau
published in 2023 a biography on Dr. Alain St.Ange with the title ‘Alain
St.Ange, A Life in Tourism’.
In 2023 Dr Mathilda Twomey, a Judge of the Seychelles Court of Appeal
and former Chief Justice of the islands, working alongside lawyers Dr
Joelle Barnes, Jocelyn Hackett and Michelle Ebrahim published ‘A
Practical Approach To Evidence For Judicial Officers’, Common law
sources and African applications reference book.
This report attempts to list publications that covers these mid ocean
islands – Seychelles.
