NATIONAL ANTHEM OF GRENADA

Hail Grenada, land of ours
We pledge ourselves to thee
Heads, hearts and hands in unity
To reach our destiny 
Ever conscious of God
Being proud of our heritage
May we with faith and courage
Aspire, build, advance
As one people, one family
God bless our nation.

Writen by Irva Blackette Nee Baptiste
Arranged by Louis MasantN

source: Grenada High Commission website

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The book chronicles the life of Dame Hilda Bynoe, the first Black female Governor in the Commonwealth; previous ones had been White and male. It is incredible to think that the first female Governor was from the small Caribbean island of Grenada given that the Commonwealth includes Australia, New Zealand, Canada and India. It was an incredible achievement for her and for women.

Me with Merle Collins – picture by Mervyn Weir

I met with Merle Collins at Senate House in London where she was scheduled to speak at a poetry event. With busy schedules and unreliable technology it took commitment from both of us to get the interview done.
I experienced her as a warm and engaging person very much comfortable in her own skin.

Merle Collins experienced her primary and secondary education in Grenada before earning a degree in English and Spanish at the University of the West Indies, Jamaica. Her time in Jamaica gave her an insight into social class in the Caribbean. As well as teaching Spanish in Grenada and St.Lucia she also spent some time in Mexico, fine tuning her language skills and getting an insight into Mexican cultures. She would discover the ethnic tensions between Mexicans descended from Spaniards and those whose ancestors were Amerindians. Unfortunately she also found herself stared at as an exotic rarity. This would lead her to study for a Masters in Latin American Studies in the USA.

Now in her early thirties, Merle returns to Grenada and becomes a civil servant in the Peoples Revolutionary Government of the late Maurice Bishop. With her translation skills
 she found herself travelling with the then Prime Minister and being used
 as an interpreter at various high level meetings. She enjoyed being the government coordinator for research on Latin America and the Caribbean. She would leave Grenada in 1983 – the year the revolution ended and the Americans invaded.

In recollecting those days Merle looks to her poems and writings of the time. She remembers the passionate discussions and excitement at the start of the 1980’s when everyone felt they were making a positive difference. However by 1983 there seemed to a bit more control by the state, no doubt coming from a place of fear.

As well as being saddened by this turn of events Merle found herself
 with lots of questions. She moved to join family in England and this would give her a new start in finding answers to many complex questions. She
was able to respond to some of the global narratives of Caribbean culture by creating characters who give an insight into a more nuanced culture.
 She published her first novel ‘Angel’ 
in 1987. She was also completing her Ph.D. in Government at the London School of economics so the novel was mostly written on long train journeys! During 1984 to 1995 Merle taught at the University of North London. For some time now she has been Professor of Caribbean literature at the University of Maryland in the USA.

Along the way Merle has written two books of short stories, namely The Ladies are Upstairs and Rain Darling. 
As well as writing chapters in several anthologies she has also published three poetry books. These are: Because the Dawn Breaks (1985), Rotten Pomerack (1992) and Lady in a Boat (2003).

Merle’s academic work and her publications all influence her work in the community in which she lives. Whether in the Caribbean, U.K. or U.S.A., she has been part of theatrical groups bringing performance, mime and African music to the delight of audiences. Through 
her own group, Carivision Community Theatre, she stages several productions for an appreciative audience.

This brings us up-to-date with her first biography, ‘The Governor’s Story’. Merle was fortunate enough to spend time with Dame Hilda Bynoe and the interaction between the two helped 
to inform how the book was written. Dame Bynoe was Governor General
 of Grenada from 1968-1974 in the government that preceded the one
 that Merle worked in. Despite being
 on different sides politically, and from different generations, the women
 had great respect for each other and recognised that each desired to serve her community. The biography is the story of a significant individual and her family, her relationship with the country she served and the greater story of Caribbean politics and migration
 at the time.

As my time was ending with Merle Collins I wanted to know who she admired and what her plans were for the future. She admired Louise Bennett for educating people through theatre and Toni Morrison for the clever way in which she uses history in her fiction. Others are also admired for their use of language and politics. For the future she plans to continue to write novels, poems, short stories and maybe even another biography. So with all these international postings and global success where does she call home? Grenada, of course.

The Governor’s Story by Merle Collins is published by Peepal Tree Press and available through their website www.peepaltreepress.com.

[This article originally appeared in Today Magazine, Autumn 2013 edition.]

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ticket entry

Jazzy soul singer Omar sang his well known hit “There’s nothing like this”

Caribbean players celebrate a goal

Several charities involved including the Jason Roberts Foundation for its summer camps in Grenada.  For more info see http://jasonrobertsfoundation.com/calendar-events.htm

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Spice vibe in West London – July 2013
See you there

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welcoming flowers

Dining and chatting

dance the bele

hardworking organisers

Baroness Howells of St. David and Shirley Anstis

High Commissioner Ruth Rouse, Shirley Anstis

Anthony C George (who designed the Grenada flag), Shirley Anstis

Words to Grenada’s national anthem

dance the bele

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Grenadians honoured by Her Majesty the Queen in the New Years Honours 2013

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Have a look at the up dated blog and leave any comments. Let me know what you think of the book too. Thanks

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Enjoyed being part of BOOKFACE  an artists and writers day at Rising Sun in October.

ready and waiting

Admiring the work of local artists

Participating in Black History Month (October 2012) at the local college

About to give a short talk on Grenada and nicknames

Black History Month at Reading College

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Grenada at London 2012 Olympics – flag carried by Karani James

These super athletes who make it to the Olympics are a source of wonder and inspiration.

The medals table seek to show not individuals’ success but success by country.  China, USA, Russia and U.K. are always well represented.  I am amazed that in recent years we’ve begun to predict the number of medals we expect to win, partly based on the amount of money invested in the athletes.  Although this makes sense it seems so far removed from individual pursuit, motivation and endurance.

But what about the other end of the table where countries have tiny populations and very little money to invest in sports? The Bahamas and Grenada are two such places and they performed well above what might be expected.

The Bahamas, with a population of more than 347 000 won an Olympic gold medal for the men’s 4×400-metre relay team. I am sure the team were overwhelmed by all the attention at home and abroad.  It probably helps that there are four of them to share the experience together and take turns in the spotlight.  Being aged from 23 to 32 they already have some experiences of competitions and life so this could spur them on to their next achievements.

Winning Gold

For Karani James (“The Jaguar”) of Grenada, he is the island’s first and only Olympic medal holder!  He won the gold medal by finishing the 400 meters in 43.94 seconds.  By doing so he brought Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martnique to the attention of a whole new audience.  Karani, 19 at the time, showed humility and graciousness beyond his years.

I was lucky enough to be on the island when Karani competed for his medal and the place was alive with hope, expectation and excitement.  When he glided to the finish for the gold the place exploded into carnival celebrations.  It is amazing what effect his achievement has had on the island.  All ages and all classes feel a renewed sense of pride.

Grenada is the first of the OECS countries to have won an Olympic medal.  For an island state with 110, 000 people this is truly amazing.  Many people can connect with Karani’s can do attitude and demonstration of commitment.  With his humble beginnings he shows that it is not where you start but where you end up that matters.  The moment he exchanged numbers with the South African runner Oscar Pistorius he touched the hearts of many and demonstrated the generous heart of the Grenadian people.

For Karani and his family it has been a beautiful and overwhelming experience.  They have been guests of the Prime Minister and Governor General on several occasions.  My hope is that he can regain some of his privacy and enjoy the remaining time at university without feeling too observed or pressured.  He is capable of so much more but he needs time and space to continue to mature in his sport and as a person.

These young men are all role models.  They encourage all small states and their populations to believe that they can leave a mark on the world stage.  Having money and a large population increases a country’s chance but all is not lost without that.  I am sure that many people will be encouraged and I expect to see more of the same successes in Rio in 2016.  I can’t wait.

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 On the waters edge

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