● LATEST Jamaica Education Reform Reaches 47 Percent as 144 Hurricane Melissa Schools Are Repaired
Jamroc Nation

INSTAGRAM

Carry the Story Forward: How Fernando Edwards Took a Self-Published Book to Walmart

Fernando Edwards wearing a black Jamroc Dept. sweatsuit on a Los Angeles street

For Fernando Edwards, the path from a self-published children’s book to Walmart began with a cultural responsibility. The Jamaican author, born in Clarendon and based in Los Angeles, wanted young readers to meet Jamaica’s seven National Heroes through a story they could carry into their own lives.

The result was The Seven Lights of Jamaica: Carry the Story Forward, published September 30, 2026 for readers ages 6 to 10. The book is now sold and shipped by Walmart.com, extending its reach beyond its original self-published launch.

A Jamaican children’s book built around legacy

The Seven Lights of Jamaica introduces Jamaica’s seven National Heroes through Glory, a young girl guided by her grandmother and a glowing Story Map. Its focus is not only on remembering national figures, but on understanding the courage, service, leadership and sacrifice their lives represent.

That approach reflects Edwards’ own connection to Jamaica. Although his creative work is now based in Los Angeles, the book remains rooted in the history and values of the island where he was born.

From self-publishing to Walmart

The Walmart listing marks a meaningful retail step for an independently published title. Customers can find the paperback on Walmart.com, where the main offer is sold and shipped by Walmart.

The book is also available through Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks and Wordery UK. Together, those listings give readers in the United States and the United Kingdom several established places to find the title.

One story across books, fashion and film

Edwards is also the founder of Jamroc Dept., a premium heritage streetwear brand behind the National Heroes capsule collection. The clothing and the book share the same guiding line, “Carry the Story Forward,” connecting cultural education for children with heritage-led design for adults.

His work also extends to independent film. Across publishing, fashion and filmmaking, the common thread is authorship: building original work, controlling the story and creating routes for Jamaican culture to reach audiences beyond the island.

What the milestone means

A Walmart listing does not change the book’s origin as a self-published project. It widens the route between that project and the families, educators and diaspora readers it was created to serve.

For Edwards, the business story is therefore inseparable from the cultural one. Distribution matters because it gives the story more places to travel.

Source: The Seven Lights of Jamaica retailer listings