Samuel Selvon
Encyclopedia
Samuel Selvon was a Trinidad
-born writer. Selvon was educated at Naparima College
, San Fernando
before moving to London
, England
in the 1950s, and later to Alberta
, Canada
. He is known for novels such as The Lonely Londoners
(1956) and Moses Ascending (1975). His novel A Brighter Sun (1952), detailing the construction of the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway in Trinidad through the eyes of young Indian worker Tiger, was a popular choice on the CXC English Literature
syllabus
for many years. Other works include Ways of Sunlight (1957), Turn Again Tiger (1958) and Those Who Eat the Cascadura (1972).
Selvon spent some years living as a writer-in-residence at the University of Calgary
in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He was largely ignored by the Canadian literary establishment, with his works receiving no reviews during his residency.
The Lonely Londoners
, as with most of his later work, focuses on the immigration of West Indians to Britain in the 1950s and 1960s, and the cultural differences which are often subtle and implicit to the dying Empire's fantasy of a "white nation". Selvon also illustrates the panoply of different "cities" that are lived in London, as with any major city, due to class and racial boundaries. In many ways, his books are the precursors to works such as Some Kind of Black by Diran Adebayo
, White Teeth
by Zadie Smith
and The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi
.
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
-born writer. Selvon was educated at Naparima College
Naparima College
Naparima College is a secondary school for teenaged males in Trinidad and Tobago. Located in San Fernando, the school was founded in 1894, but did not receive official recognition until 1900. The was established by Dr. Kenneth J. Grant, a Canadian Presbyterian missionary working among the Indian...
, San Fernando
San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago
The City of San Fernando with a population of 55,419 according to the 2000 census, is the larger of Trinidad and Tobago's two cities and the second largest municipality after Chaguanas. It occupies 18 km² and is located in the southwestern part of the island of Trinidad...
before moving to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in the 1950s, and later to Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He is known for novels such as The Lonely Londoners
The Lonely Londoners
The Lonely Londoners is a 1956 novel by British Caribbean author Samuel Selvon. Its publication marked the first literary work focusing on poor, working class blacks in the beat writer tradition following the enactment of the British Nationality Act 1948....
(1956) and Moses Ascending (1975). His novel A Brighter Sun (1952), detailing the construction of the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway in Trinidad through the eyes of young Indian worker Tiger, was a popular choice on the CXC English Literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
syllabus
Syllabus
A syllabus , is an outline and summary of topics to be covered in an education or training course. It is descriptive...
for many years. Other works include Ways of Sunlight (1957), Turn Again Tiger (1958) and Those Who Eat the Cascadura (1972).
Selvon spent some years living as a writer-in-residence at the University of Calgary
University of Calgary
The University of Calgary is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1966 the U of C is composed of 14 faculties and more than 85 research institutes and centres.More than 25,000 undergraduate and 5,500 graduate students are currently...
in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He was largely ignored by the Canadian literary establishment, with his works receiving no reviews during his residency.
The Lonely Londoners
The Lonely Londoners
The Lonely Londoners is a 1956 novel by British Caribbean author Samuel Selvon. Its publication marked the first literary work focusing on poor, working class blacks in the beat writer tradition following the enactment of the British Nationality Act 1948....
, as with most of his later work, focuses on the immigration of West Indians to Britain in the 1950s and 1960s, and the cultural differences which are often subtle and implicit to the dying Empire's fantasy of a "white nation". Selvon also illustrates the panoply of different "cities" that are lived in London, as with any major city, due to class and racial boundaries. In many ways, his books are the precursors to works such as Some Kind of Black by Diran Adebayo
Diran Adebayo
Diran Adebayo is a British novelist, cultural critic and broadcaster best known for his vivid portrayals of modern London life and his distinctive use of language.-Education and career:...
, White Teeth
White Teeth
White Teeth is a 2000 novel by the British author Zadie Smith. It focuses on the later lives of two wartime friends—the Bangladeshi Samad Iqbal and the Englishman Archie Jones, and their families in London...
by Zadie Smith
Zadie Smith
Zadie Smith is a British novelist. To date she has written three novels. In 2003, she was included on Granta's list of 20 best young authors...
and The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi
Hanif Kureishi
Hanif Kureishi CBE is an English playwright, screenwriter and filmmaker, novelist and short story writer. The themes of his work have touched on topics of race, nationalism, immigration, and sexuality...
.
Filmography (as writer)
- Pressure (1976), co-written with Horace OvéHorace OveHorace Ové Horace Ové Horace Ové (born 1939, Trinidad, is a British filmmaker, painter and writer and one of the leading black independent film-makers to emerge in Britain since the post-war period....
Criticism
Critical works on Selvon include:- Clement Wyck, Sam Selvon's dialectal style and fictional strategy, (1991).
- Margaret Paul Joseph, "Caliban in Exile: The Outsider in Caribbean Fiction," (1992).
- Austin ClarkeAustin ClarkeAustin Ardinel Chesterfield Clarke, is a Canadian novelist, essayist and short story writer who lives in Toronto, Ontario. Born in St...
, Passage back home: a personal reminiscence of Samuel Selvon, (1994). - Mark S. Looker, Atlantic Passages: history, community, and language in the fiction of Sam Selvon, (1996).
- Roydon Salick, The Novels of Samuel Selvon, (2001).