Finding a Place: The IndoTrinidadian Contribution to Literature, 1850-1950

"Kris Rampersad's book takes an intimate look at the blossoming of Trinidad's literary consciousness. Through the eyes and the words of the writers, she maps their contribution to Indo Trinidadian literature from those evolutionary years in 1850, to it flowering in the 1950s. It also represents a close look at the exciting oral culture of these people as depicted by their music, dance and storytelling, and examines the biographies of the main figures who contributed to social, cultural, economic and political development throughout this period. While the main focus of the work is on language and literary development, other aspects of Trinidad's development are also explored - cross-culturation, politics, race relations, social mobility and women's issues - in relation to their influence and impact on the writings. Further, the raw material of Finding A Place (12 little-known and rare publications between 1850 and 1950) introduces a new set of data through which the evolution of Trinidad and Tobago can be examined by others. "