Ingram Peters Jr. has released his debut book, Haddington Chronicles and Other Chronicles, now available on Amazon, with every penny of proceeds directed toward supporting children’s education across Gambia.
The book draws deeply on Peters’ childhood in Haddington Street, Banjul. “No one has documented what we did as kids – playing in the rain, the games we played, the things we ate, the beliefs we held,” he said. That realization became the spark for the project. He credits author Mmajiki Saidy-Barrow, whose own book, The Dictator In Us, donated all proceeds to victims of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC). “He gave me the green light when I approached him with the idea,” Peters recalled.
The first section captures the nostalgic street life of Banjul, filled with humor and vivid detail. Subsequent “Chronicles” expand into wider territory, including exclusive behind-the-scenes interviews Peters conducted with two Gambian football legends: the late GFF President Alhaji O.B. Conateh and football icon the late Alhaji Biri Njie. The book closes with a moving tribute to Peters’ father, the late Honorable Femi Peters, who served as Gambia’s ambassador to Sierra Leone and Liberia in the final six months of his life.
Beyond local memories, Haddington Chronicles weaves Peters’ personal global experiences into the narrative. Readers will encounter tales of meeting Bob Marley’s lawyer in Kingston, standing outside Marley’s house at midnight on his birthday, crossing paths with Chelsea’s first black player, Paul Canoville, encounters with José Mourinho, bumping into Djibril Cissé in a convenience store, and poignant reflections on undocumented Gambians living in hardship in Spain.
Peters promises the book delivers plenty of laughter. “Readers will chuckle, laugh out loud and slap their thighs as forgotten memories jump off the page,” he said. Yet the project’s deeper purpose remains its charitable heart. Inspired by Saidy-Barrow’s generosity, Peters decided his own “give back” would focus on education.
“Kids are the future,” he explained. “An educated future is a bright future. I want a child somewhere in rural Gambia whose parents are struggling to pay school fees to stay in class because a book was sold.
Depending on sales volume, funds will either cover tuition for several students or purchase school supplies for distribution to selected schools. “Even if you don’t see the funny side, your purchase keeps some kid you will never meet in school,” Peters added. “That, to me, is a win-win.”
The book is now available for purchase on Amazon. Supporters say buying a copy not only preserves Gambian cultural memories but directly invests in the next generation.
