Julian Aguon, author of “The Properties of Perpetual Light,” is an indigenous human rights lawyer and writer from Guam. He is the founder of Blue Ocean Law, a boutique international law firm that works across Oceania at the intersection of indigenous rights and environmental justice. Photos courtesy of University of Guam Press ()
The University of Guam Press published author Julian Aguon has received a publishing contract with Astra House in New York City to re-publish his book “The Properties of Perpetual Light” under the new title “No Country for Eight-Spot Butterflies.”
The book, expected for release on Sept. 13, includes an introduction by Booker Prize–winning author Arundhati Roy and a new afterword by Aguon.
The University of Guam Press, which published the work last February, will continue to publish and distribute the book as “The Properties of Perpetual Light.” It remains available for purchase at uogpress.com and in stores throughout Micronesia.
The book is a memoir that weaves together stories from Aguon’s childhood in the villages of Guam with political commentary about everything from nuclear weapons to climate change. Throughout the book, Aguon grapples with one loss after another by immersing himself in the beauty of his island, the magic of Micronesia, and the wisdom of his favorite books and elders.
“Astra House is an exciting new publisher committed to social justice and will take my book and the stories of our island to a global audience,” Aguon says. “None of this would have been possible without the incredible vision and support I received from UOG Press and their director of publishing, Victoria-Lola Leon Guerrero.”
Astra House publishes “books for children and adults that celebrate excellent storytelling, have a strong point of view, and introduce readers to new perspectives about their everyday lives as well as the lives of others,” according to its website.
For more information or to order copies of “The Properties of Perpetual Light,” contact Via De Fant at (671) 735-2153 or devantv@triton.uog.edu.
