N. D. Williams
Encyclopedia
N.D. Williams was born in Guyana
in 1942. He went to Jamaica
as a student to study at University of the West Indies
at Mona in 1968. As a student he witnessed the riots following student demonstrations against the banning of the late Dr. Walter Rodney. This is now referred to as the Rodney
riots 1968. He writes of being powerfully influenced by the radical, nativist currents in Jamaican culture - reggae
and yard theatre - of this period. He had stories published in Jamaica Journal and Savacou and in the anthologies, One People's Grief (1983) and Best West Indian Stories.
In 1976 his first novel Ikael Torass won the prestigious Casa de las Americas prize
. It draws on his experiences in Jamaica and particularly the Rodney episode. He also explores the role of the university and education as an agent of social division, as well as the revolt on campus and in the wider society against the repressive forces in Jamaican society. Ikael has been described as a "sophisticated investigation of Rastafari " by researcher Michael Mitchell http://juliemango.blog.com/123850/.
Williams lived for a time in Antigua
before moving to the U.S.
where he lives in New York
. His works, from the short stories of The Crying of Rainbirds (1992), the novel, The Silence of Islands (1994), the two novellas My Planet of Ras and What Happening There, Prash in Prash and Ras (1997), to the short stories in Julie Mango (2003), all published by Peepal Tree Press
, explore both an island and a diasporic experience.
In 2002 Williams published his searching look at the teeming underclass of New York in his disturbing novel "ah, Mikhail, O Fidel".
Two other collection of short stories followed-- " Colonial Cream"in January 2003 and "The Friendship of Shoes" ( Nov 2005)
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
in 1942. He went to Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
as a student to study at University of the West Indies
University of the West Indies
The University of the West Indies , is an autonomous regional institution supported by and serving 17 English-speaking countries and territories in the Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica,...
at Mona in 1968. As a student he witnessed the riots following student demonstrations against the banning of the late Dr. Walter Rodney. This is now referred to as the Rodney
Walter Rodney
Walter Rodney was a prominent Guyanese historian and political activist, who was assassinated in Guyana in 1980.-Career:...
riots 1968. He writes of being powerfully influenced by the radical, nativist currents in Jamaican culture - reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
and yard theatre - of this period. He had stories published in Jamaica Journal and Savacou and in the anthologies, One People's Grief (1983) and Best West Indian Stories.
In 1976 his first novel Ikael Torass won the prestigious Casa de las Americas prize
Casa de las Américas Prize
The Casa de las Américas Prize is a Cuban cultural award given by the Casa de las Américas, an organization founded in April 1959. It is one of Latin America’s oldest and most prestigious literary awards....
. It draws on his experiences in Jamaica and particularly the Rodney episode. He also explores the role of the university and education as an agent of social division, as well as the revolt on campus and in the wider society against the repressive forces in Jamaican society. Ikael has been described as a "sophisticated investigation of Rastafari " by researcher Michael Mitchell http://juliemango.blog.com/123850/.
Williams lived for a time in Antigua
Antigua
Antigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...
before moving to the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
where he lives in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. His works, from the short stories of The Crying of Rainbirds (1992), the novel, The Silence of Islands (1994), the two novellas My Planet of Ras and What Happening There, Prash in Prash and Ras (1997), to the short stories in Julie Mango (2003), all published by Peepal Tree Press
Peepal Tree Press
Peepal Tree Press, based in England, publishes Caribbean, Black British and South Asian fiction, poetry and academic books.Peepal Tree is a wholly independent company, founded in 1985, and now publishes around 30-40 books a year. Peepal Tree Press has published over 250 titles, and states a...
, explore both an island and a diasporic experience.
In 2002 Williams published his searching look at the teeming underclass of New York in his disturbing novel "ah, Mikhail, O Fidel".
Two other collection of short stories followed-- " Colonial Cream"in January 2003 and "The Friendship of Shoes" ( Nov 2005)