An internationally known spiritual leader and bestselling author with connections to Bermuda is on the island to launch the second edition of his book Meditations Across the King’s River.

James Weeks, a native of St Croix, Virgin Islands, who is also a finance mentor, said much of the inspiration for the second edition stems from Bermuda and its people.

He told The Royal Gazette: “There is no place on the planet Earth that makes me feel as connected or as embraced as Bermuda. I knew I had to come to Bermuda because I feel like the energy of the rebirth of the book comes from here.”

Mr Weeks was invited to perform the wedding of Bermudian “activists and storytellers” Liana Nanang and Ajala Omodele, cofounders of Unchained on the Rock, which is hosting the event along with Alexa Lightbourne.

A book signing and fireside chat on Saturday afternoon at the Bermuda Society of Arts at City Hall will include an intimate discussion about Mr Weeks’s life, and journey into the ancient Ifa spiritual tradition of West Africa that led his own family to healing.

Meditations Across the King’s River is aimed at readers seeking spiritual guidance, a sense of purpose and a path towards financial empowerment. The book includes stories and affirmations he has gained through his travels across the Caribbean, Africa and now Bermuda.

It features well-known Bermudians, including internationally acclaimed stylist Shiona Turini, Dawn Johnston, a Bermuda artist, Ian and Nekeisha Cameron, owners of The Griot bookstore who hosted a presentation by Mr Weeks in 2020 at the launch of the first edition, and Elmore Warren, the owner of Fresh TV. His friend Angela Dill, who first invited him to Bermuda, is also featured.

Mr Weeks describes the experience of performing the wedding of Ms Nanang and Mr Omodele, which was held at Fort Hamilton last June, as “a reawakening”.

He said: “It changed a lot of people who were there, and it changed me too. I felt I was part of something greater than I am. This touched me in such a deep way.”

The sleeves of a shirt owned by Ms Nanang’s late father, Julian Hall, the former MP and prominent attorney, were stitched into Mr Weeks’s gown, which speaks to connecting with our ancestors, another important element of the book.

Ms Nanang said: “His hands reached through the same sleeves my father’s had.”

Ms Nanang, who was first introduced to Mr Weeks’s work by Mr Omodele, said meeting the author during his first visit to the island helped her to find her own purpose in life.

She said: “I was really stuck in what I was doing for a living, working in PR and knowing it wasn’t my purpose. I got burnt out intensely.

“Then I had the opportunity to meet James. He was so kind, so gracious and so wonderful. They say don’t meet your heroes but this has been the most wonderful experience. After meeting him in 2020, I decided he was part of our family.

“He has exceeded all hopes I had for the author whose book fundamentally shifted my life and perspective, the book that brought me solace and soothing when I needed it most.”

Mr Omodele said Mr Weeks “is able to make African spirituality, which has received a pretty negative reputation in the West, very accessible. He's very approachable, charismatic and down to earth.”

Two of the photographs in the new edition of the book are by Meredith Andrews, the award-winning Bermudian photographer who shot the wedding.

Mr Weeks has spoken at Harvard University and has been a guest on numerous radio and internet shows, including KPFA, Africa Today, KPOO, the Ibeji Lounge and Ancestral Voices. He has also been featured in Market Watch, the Associated Press and the International Business Times.

The event on Saturday at the Bermuda Society of Arts at City Hall begins at noon with book sales, followed by a fireside chat and book signing from 12.30pm.

Mr Weeks lives in Oakland, California, with his wife and youngest son. He is the producer of the upcoming documentary film Across The King’s River: Fulfilling Your Life’s Purpose. He is also a babalawo, or priest, in Ifa, and helps clients with strategies for emotional, spiritual and financial wellness.

Mr Weeks has formed a non-profit called Across the King’s River Foundation, which promotes Stem education as well as African cultural and spiritual traditions.

“We need more scientists in our community, more engineers, more financial experts, more pilots, more doctors, more storytellers and we fully intend to create them,” he said.

Attendees are encouraged to register in advance at www.bit.ly/kingsriverbda to reserve their books. Books will be sold at the US retail price of $25 each, and discounts are available for those who buy multiple copies.

For more information and links to purchase the book online, visit www.acrossthekingsriver.com.

• UPDATE: this story has been amended to correct the surname of bookstore owners Ian and Nekeisha Cameron