He became an important part of the Guyanese literary scene as poet, short-story writer, newspaper columnist, editor of Kyk-over-Al, and as chairman of Guyana Publishers Inc, publishers of the Stabroek News.

This novel of childhood is at once a loving celebration of the landscape of his native island, an evocation of life and society in Trinidad from the 1930s to the 1950s, and a sad confessional depiction of how social and ethnic bias are implicated in the loss of innocence and harmony. In 1955 he began a long career in the sugar industry in Guyana, holding key positions with Bookers, later GuySuCo, till 1999, after which he served as CEO of the Sugar Association of the Caribbean.Įarly poems like Jaffo the Calypsonian, ‘e Four Knives of Freeman the Cane-Cutter, and The Seine–Pullers are steeped in the popular culture of Trinidad, as is The Humming-Bird Tree.

McDonald (born in 1933) grew up in St Augustine and received a sound education at Queen’s Royal College before taking an honours degree in history at Cambridge University. This article by Kenneth Ramchand appeared in Trinidad’s Guardian.ĭr Ian McDonald, author of the novel The Humming–Bird Tree, is to be inducted as a Distinguished Friend of Mr Biswas at a ceremony to be held at the National Library on November 28.ĭistinguished Friends of Mr Biswas are elected from among West Indian artists, particularly writers, and from international scholars working on West Indian writing or any related aspect of Caribbean culture.

The Humming-Bird Tree by Ian McDonald