Writers’ group honours Keens-Douglas

Keens-Douglas, the first President of WUTT, which was founded in 1981, is known in the theatrical world as Mr Tim Tim. He is the pioneer who first put Trinidad vernacular on the stage and media.

Tanti Merle is his most well-known and loved character. In 2005 he launched an illustrated version of her story. He is the father of many, many more hilarious and moving people who are now household folks. He has published nine volumes of his work, 15 albums, 20 cassettes, three videos and 14 CDs.

He was the first to present a Carnival Talk Tent which still runs annually, along with his engaging Tim Tim show.

At Saturday’s event, Keens-Douglas will present a range of his works, including stories, CDs and excerpts from his prize-winning wildlife film, “Spirit Tales of the Calypso Isles”. He was recently invited to present this film in Austria where a German adaptation was aired.

Much in demand, Keens-Douglas has performed at Westminster Abbey, Royal Albert Hall, the Commonwealth Institute, the Billy Holiday Theatre and other world famous venues.

In a paper entitled “Celebrating Us”, writer Marina Ama Omowale Maxwell, the current President of WUTT notes: “Despite the failures of our politicians and politicking, the exploitations and rip-offs by others and ourselves, the back-bends of poverty, the “break-words” and bitterness of underdevelopment, all of which he includes with deft and sometimes light touch, Paul Keens-Douglas makes us laugh, makes us remember, makes us recognise and claim the matrix of our subterranean strengths which make us able to go on.

“He creates a new era in the oral tradition and more praise songs should be sung of him.”