My name is Paul Crask. Originally from England, I’ve lived in Dominica since 2005.
Although I began life here as a PADI scuba instructor and underwater videographer, for the last twenty years I’ve worked primarily as a writer and magazine publisher. During that time, I researched and authored four editions of two Bradt travel guides — Dominica and Grenada — and created several independent publications, including Dominica Traveller, Dominica Geographic, and Gade Mwen. I’ve also contributed numerous freelance articles to regional and international magazines and newspapers, sharing stories and insights from the eastern Caribbean.
In 2024, I decided to step away from travel writing. I’d been doing it for long enough, and had grown disillusioned with the way tourism was changing. It felt like the right moment to explore new creative directions — to reconnect with curiosity and place in a more personal way.
One of these directions has been visual art: creating narrative sketches in ink and watercolour that depict whimsical, island-inspired imaginary places, as well as my interpretations of a few real ones. I still enjoy writing, but these days I’m drawn to quieter subjects — culture, nature, gardens, farming, and the offbeat. I’ve disconnected from tourism and am enjoying a more relaxed, low-key island life.
This shift has gradually evolved into something I call OUTSIDE EDGE — the creative lens through which I – as an outsider – explore the world. As well as being a nod to the great cricket tradition of these parts, Outside Edge reflects a position both within and beyond; looking at island life from its margins. Through ink and watercolour, words and photographs, I try to record the textures of places and people that often sit off the beaten path. Outside Edge isn’t about critique; it’s about noticing what’s easily overlooked and finding beauty, humour, and meaning in the edges of things.
I’m still an insatiable traveller, but my focus has changed. In Colombia, for example, I learned all about coffee, and now I’ve become an independent coffee artisan — cultivating, processing, and roasting Arabica grown exclusively in my garden at 2,000 feet on the western slopes of Morne Anglais. This isn’t a commercial enterprise – though I do brand my coffee Blue Parrot – but rather one I undertake for the satisfaction of learning and achievement.
Before all this …
I grew up in Yorkshire and studied German Language and Literature (BA Hons) at the University of Leeds from 1984 to 1988. As part of my course, I spent several months behind the Iron Curtain at the Karl Marx University of Leipzig in former East Germany, which you can read about in Iron Curtain Diaries. Following that, I taught for a year at the Hugo Ball Gymnasium (grammar school) in Pirmasens, former West Germany. While at university, I was a regular contributor to the Leeds Student newspaper, writing film and theatre reviews.
After graduating, I worked for two years as a language teacher in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, before moving into project management in London.
In 2005, my wife Celia and I downshifted, dropped out, and migrated to her native Dominica. We live in a small home we built near the village of Giraudel.
For freelance and/or art, please email me: paulcrask@gmail.com
