Three Tobagonians inducted into Literary Hall of Fame

The third inductee was the renowned and acclaimed television and film script writer and producer, Horace Wilson. Recognition was paid to well-known Tobago historian, educationalist and researcher, Moulda Archie, retired history teacher of Bishop’s High School.

The awards function was the culmination of the second annual Tobago Word Festival that ran from September 13 to 22. Festival Director Deborah Moore-Miggins said, “The festival was intended to develop the skill of writing among Tobagonians and to recognise the distinguished writers of Tobago. The festival featured several workshops for writers and teachers of secondary and primary schools by renowned educationalists and professors of varying backgrounds who taught various genres of writing. The festival built on what the organisers described as a resounding success last year and in that regard had looked forward to the second edition being much more exciting.”

Warner-Lewis was made emeritus professor in 2004. She is the retired professor of African-Caribbean Language and Orature in the Department of Literatures in English, UWI, Mona. She is a graduate of St Joseph’s Convent, Port-of-Spain, the UWI, Mona and the University of York, England, literature and linguistics. She was also a TT Additional Island Scholarship winner in 1962. She has won numerous awards locally, regionally and internationally.

In responding to her induction, Warner-Lewis stated that she spent three years teaching in Nigeria. She initially wanted to study English literature but made a conscious decision to instead focus on African studies while doing her Master’s in England. She began by studying the language, family and cultural history of people who could remember their African ancestors and antecedents which resulted in the many books she has since published, such as Yoruba Songs of Trinidad (1994), Central Africa in the Caribbean: Transcending Time, Transforming Cultures (200), and Trinidad Yoruba: From Mother Tongue to Memory (1996/1997).

Prof Lynch is from John Dial, Tobago and attended the Hope EC School before continuing his education at Bishop’s High School on a scholarship where he achieved the Senior Cambridge Certificate, Grade I. He went on to teach at Belle Garden EC School and Princes Town EC School. At one point he was a Trinidad Guardian reporter in Port-of- Spain.

He graduated from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, with first class honours in history and won the Annie Southcott Memorial Prize for best undergraduate honours essay in history. He was a graduate student at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, on a Commonwealth scholarship. He got his PhD in African history in 1964 and lectured at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, from 1964-1966. He also served as Associate Professor of History at Roosevelt University, Chicago and at the State University of New York (SUNY) in Buffalo. Lynch was appointed Professor of African and Pan African History at Columbia University and has been serving as Professor Emeritus of History since 2005. Much like Warner-Lewis, he too has a number of publications and other notable achievements such as the introduction and directing of a new programme of black studies at SUNY and the introduction of a new programme, “Professor-in-Residence”, at Columbia’s undergraduate dormitories. He was the first of three professors appointed and served for four years. Lynch said he was initially sceptical because he wondered if sufficient Tobagonians were involved so that the giving of awards in this realm could be sustained. Upon further reflection and without knowing the answer, he felt it was a good idea to establish the Tobago Hall of Fame as it would give great encouragement to Tobagonians everywhere that might have the inclination to make literary pursuits.

The occasion stimulated in him some thought, he added, which saw him making a pledge for a lasting contribution to his alma mater, Bishop’s High School.

As a result, he pledged to set up some kind of endowment at the school, the purpose of which will be to promote an interest among students in literary endeavours.

He suggested that occasional seminars be held on writing and also that prizes be given annually or biannually to any student who produces a literary endeavour in fiction, history or otherwise.

Horace Wilson’s name is synonymous with Turn of the Tide, a 13- episode television series and the 39-episode No Boundaries TV series that he wrote but those were not his first.

He had placed second in a national screenplay writing competition with What the Moon Saw in 1980 that featured Learie Joseph and the late Horace James.

He followed that with first place in 1981 with Black Bay featuring Kennetta Bobb, Horace James, Noel Blandin and Dr Eastlyn Bacchus (now McKenzie).

He produced and directed Tangled Lives, a six -episode mini-series that was commissioned and funded by the EEC, which was aired in more than 30 countries.

The show dealt with a family coming to grips with the medical realities and social dimensions of HIV/AIDS.

The cast comprised Penelope Spencer, Rodill Clarke, Shurva Webster, Eastlyn McKenzie and Gregory Ballantyne.

Ten years ago, Wilson was one of 28 people selected from over 7,500 worldwide applicants to undertake a two-year programme of study in screenwriting at the American Film Institute (AFI) in Los Angeles, the leading institution for film and television studies in the world. He recently completed a new 13-episode series of Turn of the Tide, The Next Generation, which he promises to be a monster hit.

He is the recipient of the Humming Bird Medal national award and has served as a senator in Port-of-Spain from 1987 to 1991.

Wilson said the award, an honour, is something he would cherish for the rest of his life and thanked his entire family and numerous friends for their support in his success and achievements.

The Tobago Word Festival was hosted by the Empowerment Foundation of Tobago, the Tobago Writers Guild and the Jegna Educational Services with support from the Tobago House of Assembly.

The first six inductees at the inaugural launch last year were Dr Susan Craig, Marlene Nourbese-Phillips, Earl Lovelace and, posthumously, Dr JD Elder, CLR Otley and Eric Roach.