Literary Tribute to Claude McKay
By: , May 24, 2016The Key Point:
Photo: Contributed
Deputy High Commissioner, Mrs. Diedre Mills, welcoming guests to a special Literary Event on Claude McKay, at the Jamaican High Commission in London, on May 19.The Facts
- The evening also featured the reading of a number of Mr. McKay’s poems by members of the audience and staff of the High Commission.
- Last September, the Literary Event paid tribute to another Iconic Jamaica, Louise ‘Miss Lou’ Bennett Coverly, OM.
The Full Story
Iconic Jamaican poet and writer, Claude McKay, was the focus of the High Commission’s Literary Event on May 19.
The function featured a presentation by Jamaican-born attorney and poet, David Neita, who spoke about how Mr. McKay’s Jamaican childhood influenced his writing.
He also drew attention to the impact that Mr. McKay had on the Harlem Renaissance in New York in the 1920s and on other writers of the time.
Deputy High Commissioner, Mrs. Deidre Mills, who welcomed guests at the event, said it was a continuation of the High Commission’s efforts to showcase the aspect of Jamaican culture and influence that Jamaican writers have had on the international stage.
The evening also featured the reading of a number of Mr. McKay’s poems by members of the audience and staff of the High Commission.
Mr. McKay was born in Clarendon on September 15, 1889. He wrote four novels, including Home to Harlem (1928), a best-seller that won the Harmon Gold Award for Literature; Banjo (1929); and Banana Bottom (1933).
This was the fourth Literary Event hosted by the High Commission since 2014. Others featured UK-based Jamaican writers, including Kei Miller, Kerry Young, Linton Johnson, and Deanne Heron.
Last September, the Literary Event paid tribute to another Iconic Jamaica, Louise ‘Miss Lou’ Bennett Coverly, OM.