The West Indian Novel and Its Background

by Kenneth Ramchand

"First published in 1970, this pioneering account of the emergence of the West Indian Novel in English has been a the centre of the development of West Indian Literature as an academic discipline. In an intimate and firm introduction, Professor Ramchand writes about the putting together of The West Indian Novel and its Background and makes a challenging survey of the West Indian writing and criticism since 1970. Wearing his scholarship lightly, the author provides valuable insights into the social cultural and political background, offering concise and focused accounts of the growth of education, the development of literacy, the formation of West Indian Creole languages, and the making of the region’s written literature. For this reason, it has served as a handbook for teachers and lecturers setting up courses in West Indian and Commonwealth literatures. This edition contains updated year-by-year and author biographies, features of the original that contributed to its reliability as a guide. Two new chapters have been fitted into the Earl Lovelace’s The Dragon Can’t Dance and Sam Selvon’s The Lonely Londoners. First published in 1970, this pioneering account of the emergence of the West Indian Novel in English has been a the centre of the development of West Indian Literature as an academic discipline. In an intimate and firm introduction, Professor Ramchand writes about the putting together of The West Indian Novel and its Background and makes a challenging survey of the West Indian writing and criticism since 1970. Wearing his scholarship lightly, the author provides valuable insights into the social cultural and political background, offering concise and focused accounts of the growth of education, the development of literacy, the formation of West Indian Creole languages, and the making of the region’s written literature. For this reason, it has served as a handbook for teachers and lecturers setting up courses in West Indian and Commonwealth literatures. This edition contains updated year-by-year and author biographies, features of the original that contributed to its reliability as a guide. Two new chapters have been fitted into the Earl Lovelace’s The Dragon Can’t Dance and Sam Selvon’s The Lonely Londoners. "

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Ramchand’s ground-breaking The West Indian Novel and Its Background (1970) contains outstanding interpretations of major West Indian writers such as Earl Lovelace and Wilson Harris. It was followed in 1976 by An Introduction to the Study of WestIndian Literature. A visiting scholar in a number of universities in Britain and the USA, he became the first Professor of West Indian literature in 1984 at the University of the West Indies. His frequently controversial ‘Matters Arising’ column in Trinidad Guardian discusses political, economic and literary matters in the local dialect. A short-story writer in his own right, Ramchand’s contribution to education and culture – as an academic, a creative artist and an independent senator – remains largely unrecognized in his own country.

Reviews

[Shanae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairly decent overview of the education system in the West Indies and the emergence of the West Indian novel.