One of TT’s best writers is gone

Andy wrote children’s literature, which as my dear friend Betty Peter, author of Brown Sugar and Spice, always says, is treated like second class literature.

Those of us who write chapter books for children from eight to 12 know how vitally important literature for this age group is. There is a dearth of Trinidadian literature for this age group, but Andy did more than his part to help fill this gaping hole. Andy, a former British West Indies Airline (BWIA) pilot, wrote collections of stories any child could enjoy. But like the late Roy Galt, his stories particularly targeted boys.

His first book, Grommit the Vulture, introduced young readers to a rescued vulture that tells his own story. Grommit, published by Macmillan Caribbean, showed how vultures are important to the environment.

When Macmillan stopped publishing children’s books, Andy decided to self publish. “Who has time to wait for a publisher?” he once shrugged in a conversation.

Encouraged by the positive response of young readers, Andy penned three collections of short stories filled with lively illustrations that gave the books a feel of comics.

First came Three Scary Stories from the Caribbean that in 2009.

This included three stories: “Camping and Cricket on the Beach”, a shark story; “Staring Death in the Face”, a story about a boy who meets up with a raging bull, and “A Fishing Trip Gone Wrong”, a story featuring boys stranded on an island off of Trinidad.

All of Andy’s books featured brave, adventurous boys who battle the elements.

He wrote Hemingway like stories for young readers: classic man-against-nature stories, fastpaced, gripping tales that captured any readers’ attention, but were tailor- made for boys — especially reluctant readers.

The following year, Andy introduced Adventure Stores from the Caribbean with “A Most Unlikely Saviour”, a stranded sailor story; Curore, a folkore horror story and “Kite Flying in the Savannah” that combined adventure and kite flying with all its aerodynamic glory.

Andy’s books always featured the great outdoors and some aspect of Trinidad culture – old-time fun in a present setting. Both Andy and Roy Galt succeeded in getting boys – at least the boys in their books—away from their computers and outside where they lived adventures.

In 2014, Andy gave young readers Unbelievable Stories from the Caribbean, with “Where Monsters Roam”, a rip-roaring story of a fishing competition, “Bush Medicine”, the story of a local woman who brings a man back to life after he has drowned, “Slither”, a frighteningly funny story about a pet snake and “Life in Paradise”, the story of a local man and a foreigner who decide to change places.

It is a miracle that we have these four wonderful books because it’s really difficult to imagine adventuresome Andy ever sitting sitting down to write stories. But he believed in reading.

I will miss Andy’s phone calls filled with excitement about his latest book and his trips to my house to deliver those stories, which he loved to talk about. I had the great pleasure of teaching Andy’s son, Edward, and I am sure that Edward will keep Andy’s books in print.

Please look for them in local book stores, and when you find them, cherish them because they truly are a treasure.

Rest in peace, Andy. We will miss your adventurous stories, but your legacy lives on.