What they say
“Casimir’s granddaughter Kathy Casimir MacLean offers an insightful biography of this political and literary pioneer from Dominica, who led the Garveyite movement on the island and promoted the Black Star Line, preached Pan-Africanism, was deeply committed to Haile Selassie and Ethiopia’s quest for freedom, wrote for the Negro World, corresponded with Langston Hughes and Amy Jacques Garvey, and edited several anthologies of local poetry—he has been called “the grandfather of Dominican literature.” Friends with Phyllis Shand Allfrey, he wrote poetry throughout his life, some of which is included in the book. The book shows how a partially educated, bright and ambitious man born at the turn of the twentieth century on a small colonial island could play a significant role in the wider West Indian political and literary world. His papers are now in the Schomburg Center in New York.”
– New West Indian Guide, January 2023”
“We need more biographies of this sort in order to complicate some of the simplistic narratives that so easily take hold. Clearly it was possible to be a black nationalist, Catholic, Eugenia Charles-supporting poet!…Very good idea: impeccably researched and stylishly written.”
– Peter Hulme, Professor of Literature, University of Essex.
– Geoffrey Philip
“I feel so much better informed for having read this book!”
– Margaret Busby
– Lennox Honychurch
“Casimir’s granddaughter Kathy Casimir MacLean offers an insightful biography of this political and literary pioneer from Dominica, who led the Garveyite movement on the island and promoted the Black Star Line, preached Pan-Africanism, was deeply committed to Haile Selassie and Ethiopia’s quest for freedom, wrote for the Negro World, corresponded with Langston Hughes and Amy Jacques Garvey, and edited several anthologies of local poetry—he has been called “the grandfather of Dominican literature.” Friends with Phyllis Shand Allfrey, he wrote poetry throughout his life, some of which is included in the book. The book shows how a partially educated, bright and ambitious man born at the turn of the twentieth century on a small colonial island could play a significant role in the wider West Indian political and literary world. His papers are now in the Schomburg Center in New York.”
– New West Indian Guide, January 2023”
“We need more biographies of this sort in order to complicate some of the simplistic narratives that so easily take hold. Clearly it was possible to be a black nationalist, Catholic, Eugenia Charles-supporting poet!…Very good idea: impeccably researched and stylishly written.”
– Peter Hulme, Professor of Literature, University of Essex.
– Geoffrey Philip
“I feel so much better informed for having read this book!”
– Margaret Busby
– Lennox Honychurch
About the Author
Kathy Casimir MacLean
Kathy Casimir MacLean was born in Dominica and lives in London. She was head of the Ethnic Minority Achievement (EMA) Service in Wandsworth’s Children’s Services, south London, for many years and taught at Goldsmiths’ University, London, and at UCL’s Institute of Education before retiring in 2016.
About the Author
Kathy Casimir MacLean
Kathy Casimir MacLean was born in Dominica and lives in London. She was head of the Ethnic Minority Achievement (EMA) Service in Wandsworth’s Children’s Services, south London, for many years and taught at Goldsmiths’ University, London, and at UCL’s Institute of Education before retiring in 2016.
