Kevyn Alan Arthur

"Published England and Nowhere, poems, Peepal Tree, 1993. Meanwhile I had rediscovered the music and libretto of an anti-slavery 1787 British operetta, Inkle and Yarico, set in Barbados, in the Yale libraries; also, my historical researches in Trinidad had long made me aware of the richness of 19th century Trinidad literature in the Port of Spain/Trinidad Gazette. I returned to Barbados in 1992 after 25 years in the US, to work at getting Inkle and Yarico staged and to prepare an anthology of 19th century Trinidadian lit. I published View from Belmont, Peepal Tree, 1997, Inkle and Yarico as produced at Holders Easter Season, 1995 [get the CD!]; worked as an editor at the Barbados Advocate newspaper, 1993-2000, and discovered 400+ pages of 18th century Barbadian poetry and essays in the Barbados Gazette and Barbados Mercury, 1731-1789, to be published shortly; taught Philosophy (Ethics) at the UWI, Cave Hill campus, 1999.

My 86-year-old Mum’s attack of congestive heart failure in August 2000 brought me hurriedly to the US, have remained here since her fatal stroke a month later, plan to divide my time between the US/Barbados/Trinidad.

Currently working on a screenplay, novel[s], collection of poetry."

Kevyn Arthur was born in Barbados, 1942 and spent his boyhood in Trinidad and Barbados. He worked as a chemist in Trinidad then variously as a writer for radio, newspaper and advertising, semi-pro photographer, and was a member of Derek Walcott’s Theatre Workshops, before getting a journalism scholarship to Ohio University, won a scholarship to Yale Graduate School and did a Master’s degree in Philosophy.

He published the poetry collection England and Nowhere in 1993 (Peepal Tree Press) and his novel The View from Belmon in 1997. He rediscovered the music and libretto of an anti-slavery 1787 British operetta, 'Inkle and Yarico', set in Barbados, in the Yale libraries and this was later staged in Barbados with his involvement in 1995. In 1992 he returned to Barbados after 25 years in the US, and worked as an editor at the Barbados Advocate newspaper, 1993-2000, and discovered 400+ pages of 18th century Barbadian poetry and essays in the Barbados Gazette and Barbados Mercury, 1731-1789. He is currently back in the USA where he is an adjunct lecturer in English and Philosophy at the Christopher Newport University. His The View from Belmont is currently being staged in Trinidad.