Thomas Henry MacDermot - Father of Jamaican Literature

Thomas Henry MacDermot wrote under the pseudonym Tom Redcam (interestingly, his surname spelt backwards). He was born in Clarendon, Jamaica on June 26, 1870, the third of five children. McDermot pursued teaching, and then eventually journalism, becoming editor of the Jamaica Times, one of several publications he wrote for.

He played a crucial role in promoting Jamaican literature by establishing the All-Jamaica Library, a series of short stories and novellas. This encouraged and nurtured the writings of Jamaicans, including Claude McKay and others.I believe this earns him the right to be called the father of Jamaican literature. 

McDermot's own writings include the following:

Novels:

Becka's Buckra Baby (1903)

One Brown Girl and 1/4 (1909)

Poems:

Orange Valley and Other Poems (1951) Pioneer Press

Thomas MacDermot died on October 8, 1933, in England. He was posthumously honored as Jamaica's first Poet Laureate for the period 1910-1933. In addition, the Tom Redcam Library in Kingston was named after him. For more on his life and works see:

https://www.jls.gov.jm/tom-redcams-150th-anniversary/

https://prabook.com/web/thomas.macdermot/1781936

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_MacDermot

Edgar Cairo, Prolific Surinamese Poet

Today we celebrate Surinamese poet, Edgar Cairo. Edgar Eduard Cairo was born in Paramaribo, Suriname on May 7, 1948. He was a prolific writer (he is credited with approximately 40 works in various genres), playwright, as well as a visual artist. Cairo's publications include poems, plays, novellas, novels, and short stories. His writings focused on black identity, black consciousness, slavery in Suriname, and the wider Dutch colonial history in the Caribbean. His work also was influenced by, reflected, and emphasized African oral tradition.

Edgar Cairo

Cairo later studied and lived in The Netherlands, and this also impacted him as a black man navigating that space. He wrote in Dutch, as well as Sranantongo, the Surinamese creole. In 1969, he wrote the novella, Temekoe, his debut publication. Poetry collections include Loos (1989), and Het uur van de Wolf (1995). Edgar Cairo died on November 15, 2000, in The Netherlands.

Caribbean American Poetry Association (CAPA)

 The Caribbean American Poetry Association (CAPA), was founded in 2015 by Dr. Beryl R. Williams to promote Caribbean poets and their poetry in the United States. As Founder and President, Dr. Williams has worked tirelessly so that a wider audience can become acquainted with and enjoy Caribbean poetry.

Dr. Williams was born in Dominica and has a bachelor's degree in Mass Communication, a master's in Public Administration, and a PhD in Management and Organizational Leadership. Her work has been published in several anthologies. She is also the author of two poetry collections, A Pebble in My Shoe, and Zandoli.

CAPA is a nonprofit 501(c)(3). If you are a Caribbean poet and would like to join CAPA or support its mission, please email CAPA at caribbeanamericanpoetry@gmail.com. You can also follow CAPA on Instagram at: @capapoetrystory. CAPA's mailing address is:

CAPA

P.O. Box 326, Huntington Station, NY 11746