Nigel Coke, the fast-rising star in the Jamaica Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (SDA) constellation, insisted he did not want a complimentary copy of the eponymous book, Desmond Allen’s Greatest Hits: Wondrous Tales of Extraordinary Jamaicans. He also did not want the lower-priced edition.

The SDA communication, public affairs and religious liberty director, who described Allen as his media mentor, recalled that he had set up a fateful interview with his then president, Patrick Allen (no relation), exposing him to the nation, prior to his 2009 appointment as governor general of Jamaica by the Bruce Golding Administration.

The Patrick Allen story is one of 20 featured in Desmond Allen’s Greatest Hits launched on his 50th anniversary in journalism in October 2023. The book also honours Jamaica Observer founder, Gordon ”Butch” Stewart, whom Allen regarded as a mentor.

“We’ll probably never know if the interview by Desmond Allen had anything to do directly with the appointment of Sir Patrick, but it is safe to say that he was little known nationally, to the point that the journalist wrote of him in 2005 that ‘he is Jamaica’s best kept secret’.”

Coke was reminiscing about the early days of his relationship with Allen, founding editor of the Observer, as he was presented with a copy of the newly minted author’s book on Monday in the lobby of the newspaper at Beechwood Avenue, St Andrew.

He said he had sensed that Allen was surprised that he (Coke) wanted the limited gold edition hard cover priced at US$150 and not the more affordable paperback for US$35. But he purchased the hard cover version for two reasons:

“First, I met Desmond 20 years ago through Elizabeth Bennett when I wanted someone from mainstream media to do a presentation on media relations at a communication seminar put on by the SDA’s East Jamaica Conference, and she could not do it at the time. She then recommended Desmond, saying, ‘He is good and will do a better job than I could’. Since then, Desmond and I have remained goods friends.

“I always refer to Desmond as my media mentor and he is… He has inspired me to do what I didn’t like before — writing. I believe he was born for journalism as his writing is both timely and timeless. I have also learnt good editing skills from him based on some work we did prior to him returning to the Observer in 2006.

“I will never forget him saying to me that to get my stories published, it needs to have one of the elements of trauma, drama or humour. I know his style of writing so much that I can call or text him with confidence when he writes any story even without his byline. I truly admire his style of writing.

“The second reason has to do with the story of the life of Dr Patrick Allen, now governor general of Jamaica. This story is special to me, not only because Dr Allen is now the representative of Jamaica’s head of State, King Charles, but because of the time and effort put into it.

“It took three months to get Desmond to do the interview because, on one hand, Dr Allen did not make the ‘Dean’s List’ of persons that Desmond sought to write about, as he was newly elected president of the SDA Church in Jamaica. On the other hand, Dr Allen was media shy. I remember taking Desmond to Mandeville and back to ensure that it was done.

“I know God brought Desmond in my life at such a time 20 years ago to pave the pathway for Him to work His will and good pleasure. Desmond, I commend and congratulate you, not only on publishing your first book, but also your 50 years of dedication to professional journalism in Jamaica.”