Historical novels on indentureship in the Caribbean

Indian Arrival Day Commemorative Magazine 2017

Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre (ICC) is proud to announce the publication of its latest magazine commemorating Indian Heritage Month (May 2017) in Trinidad and Tobago (Caribbean). The theme of the magazine which marks the arrival of East Indians/South Asians from India to the Caribbean during indentureship (1838-1917) is “Historical novels on indentureship in the Caribbean.”

A historical novel is a detailed story which has been set in the past. It is a blend of history and fiction which sometimes serve to popularise history itself. Historical novels belong to the literary genre of historical fiction which includes other narrative forms such as plays,
poems, songs, movies and comics.

Most people enjoy reading historical novels more than studying history books because they gain insight into the hopes, dreams, fears, failures and triumphs of characters (e.g. kings, governors, rebels, etc.). Readers also catch a rare and privileged opportunity to peep into the private lives, minds and thoughts of historical figures through their humanisation. They may also read how historical novelists challenge the “grand narratives” of conventional historiographies.

Thirteen (13) novels on indentureship are highlighted in this edition of the magazine.

May-June 2017

11 x 8 ½ inches

40 pages with advertisements and articles

ISSN 1683-4143

Glossy pages and cover

About Indian Arrival Day in Trinidad and Tobago
Historical novels on indentureship in the Caribbean – Editorial
Greetings from the Minister of Community Development, Culture and the Arts Dr the Honourable Nyan Gadsby-Dolly
Greetings from the High Commissioner of India His Excellency Bishwadip Dey
Lutchmee and Dilloo: A Study of West Indian Life by Edward Jenkins (1877)
Those That Be in Bondage by ARF Webber (1917)
The Jumbie Bird by Ismith Khan (1961)
The Dispossessed by Clem Maharaj (1992)
The Promise by Sharlow Mohammed (1995)
The Counting House by David Dabydeen (1996)
Rama’s Voyage by Ron Ramdin (2004)
Jahajin by Peggy Mohan (2008)
Chalo Chinidad by Jang Bhagirathee (2009)
Weaving Water by Ryhaan Shah (2013)
Sugar’s Sweet Allure by Khalil Rahman Ali (2013)
Sangam: The Jhansi Legacy Legacy by Balkrishna Naipaul
A Dip at the Sangam by Reuben Lachmansingh (2014).

Kumar Mahabir

is a full-time anthropologist at the University of Guyana (UG) and Fellow of The Eccles Centre for American Studies, British Library (2022-23). He is a former Assistant Professor at the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT). He obtained his Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Florida (UF). As a doctoral student, he won a Florida Caribbean Institute Award, an A. Curtis Wilgus Grant, and an Organization of American States (OAS) Fellowship.
Mahabir received a National Award (Hummingbird Silver Medal) for his contribution to education in his country in 2011. He was among 50 recipients who received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the UWI Alumni Association.
Mahabir is the author of 12 books to date.