Anslem Douglas was drawn to writing before the age of ten, mainly driven by his older sisters, who frequently wrote essays and poetry. A memorable early literary pursuit that fell outside of his school assignments was a love letter to his then younger girlfriend (eight years old, and he was nine). In those days, his spelling and diction left a lot to be desired, and he was mocked by his sisters when they came across his prose that was riddled with errors, such as misspelling “Dear” with “Deer,” among many other innocent mistakes. The embarrassment of that moment was so great that it led him to songwriting, a passion that ended up remaining with him to this day. 

 

Anslem has always had stories to share with others, which has never waned. Early on, he committed to “put pen to paper” and tell as many stories as his audience would allow, bad spelling and all. Over the years, this literary spark has blossomed, and he has written and recorded hundreds of songs, including the internationally known hit “Who Let The Dogs Out.” His love of writing has grown to include poetry, short stories, children’s books, fiction novels, and more. Anslem strongly feels there is nothing more humbling than having an idea and seeing it printed and or performed for the world to enjoy. It is truly a blessing.

 

Anslem is constantly working on new material, and at any given time, he may be simultaneously writing songs or mid-way into a new book. Currently, he has four ongoing literary projects and has begun crafting songs for a second album. His forthcoming album, I’m Coming Over, will be released in late 2021.

Backhoe Harry is a story about young love, enduring and surviving the hardship of parental pressure and academic (and social) disparities. The Adventures of Spin and Scratch, The Cat-astrophe, is the sequel to Anslem’s first children’s novel (The Adventures of Spin and Scratch, The Relocation), released June 2019. It tells the tale of two teenagers, Spin & Scratch, as they are suddenly uprooted from their New York City home and transported to a new home in Trinidad. He is also writing a book called Andre and Turner, the "Who Let The Dogs Out Story," which tells the story behind the iconic hit song. Lastly, Hi, My Name Is Mia is an early children’s picture book that Anslem wrote to collaborate with Canadian visual artist Shari Campbell.

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