“I just received the sad news that George Lamming today left us to join the ancestors. George was part of my life from the earliest childhood, and after my parents I can’t think of anyone who made a greater impact on me. His contributions to Barbados, the Caribbean, the Caribbean diaspora in Britain, and the world are measureless. He lived and struggled with such grace and generosity

“Rest in power George
The ceremony of souls is never at an end…”

– King’s College celebrating Prof.

Regular viewers and readers would be fully aware both professors have graced my website many times, especially since both are illustrious members of Barbadian academia in one way or another. Richard and I both went to Harrison College, while Professor Lamming I made sure to attend a class technically I had no right being there.

The at the Errol Barrow Centre was originally intended for people who had books published or about to be whether a complete fiction or a collection of stories – my contention was I should be able to learn if I intend to write a book, therefore the education was crucial. I still have the notebook with its prized jewels of advice to this day. Making it reality has been arduously slow but rewarding and soon published…

One of the signs of a true Master is when they decide they need to learn as well, even if at the last minute… “(Prof Lamming) was surprised at how many Fantasy and Science fiction enthusiasts in the group and so at his advanced stage in Life, he set about learning some of the basics pertaining to both SF & Fantasy – in order to better communicate with his pupils, BRAVO!”

This literary lion never shied from advising his own country what should be done to ensure future generations of literacy… “ told people that night that Government needs to direct most of its funding towards developing places like Carrington’s since society is directed by the politics of reading. If children are taught to feed their brains the right way then their consciousness will be guided accordingly in assessing knowledge to guide the future.”

It was only last year when the same Professor Richard Drayton gave tribute to Dr Lamming in a virtual lecture for the same Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination.

His much acclaimed first novel, In the Castle of My Skin, featuring an autobiographical character named G., can be read as both a coming-of-age story as well as the story of the Caribbean.

I found him to be a product of his era yet bold enough to learn new genres for the Master Class, yet not every theme met with his or the class’s approval…

“While staying at the hospital, she had to find out how she could quietly get a pregnancy test. Then make the next important decision.

Those weeks and days at St George’s almost took a toll on her, but were an enlightenment in and of themselves, , after all and did research. This led to some unusual decisions.”

The story if put in a context was not so unusual, but this was before the series arrived via HBO on our shores, So the story of a girl who discovers her lover is her brother and decides to continue in the relationship as he isn’t aware was considered not worthy of review in the class, I laughed at their staunch upright attitude when one considers how many people are caught in weirder circumstances…

Despite their silent rebuke, I remained in the class for its full term as it ran from February to June 15 years ago, in fact, I warned myself not everything I wrote would be accepted or even if read may be shredded asunder and I must not be upset, it’s just their views. Good thing I steeled myself…

Those lessons stayed with me even as I plan to to craft a version of my own autobiography as though it’s fiction… “() Lamming explained that a 3rd Person tale can be when B tells C the story of A, () Lamming just wanted us to remember when placing scenes and characters that it has to be vivid so the reader clearly knows where they are heading…”

Existing is such an adventure, I am sure thought he’d be giving a celebratory lecture when Dr Lamming reached 100, which sad to say is now edited from the script of Life.