“So, tell me
about the book,” he said. “Who published it?”
When I told
him the name of the publisher, he joked: “And how much they paying for an
advance these days? I hope you got a few pounds.”
 |
| Derek Walcott in 2012 (Photo: Centro Culturale di Milano) |
That made me
laugh. The advance was not worth mentioning, but I was happy the book was out.
Still, what was there to say about a first collection of stories to a Nobel
Prize winner?
Later,
another writer assured me that this particular laureate, Derek Walcott, was
genuinely interested in the work of young authors. He had in fact lent
his support to several up-and-coming writers in his homeland St. Lucia and other Caribbean countries.
His
graciousness stood in contrast to the star treatment that he was receiving at
this conference on Caribbean literature, organized by Italian scholar Luigi
Sampietro. We were in Milan, in the mid-Nineties, and everyone hung onto
Walcott’s words. Applause broke out at his every utterance. It was surreal to
be sharing a table, not only with him, but also with Guyanese writers Wilson
Harris and David Dabydeen and with Jamaican prize-winning author Olive Senior.
Walcott mixed
erudition and humour, and he elicited laughter by constantly murmuring asides
in patois. When I offered to translate the speech of a Spanish-speaking fellow
writer, he said teasingly: “You sure you know enough Spanish for that?”
He was right,
and I was happy when someone in the audience - who was truly fluent -
volunteered to do the translation. Walcott had studied languages
(Spanish, French and Latin) in Jamaica, at the University of the West Indies,
so he probably could have done the interpreting himself.
At
dinner that evening, he and his partner Sigrid Nama displayed unfailing good-humour and
consideration towards our hosts and other guests, who got an insight into both
his poetry and his personality. At the time, Walcott was working on a musical
play with singer Paul Simon, and he was frank about the challenges of the
project - which would reach the theatre several years later.
Asked about
working with the music icon, Walcott didn’t use the opportunity to laud his own
contribution, instead he was quick to praise Simon’s efforts, noting how
difficult theatre work could be. In addition to being a poet and painter, he was a
playwright, and he had full experience of the field.
Most people
know of the magnificent legacy Walcott has left with his work, and many will
also have heard of the allegations over the years, which should be openly
addressed. But perhaps fewer realise the memories that will last of Walcott’s
unexpected wit and his grace. – A.M.
On March 19
in Paris, France, writers will pay homage to Walcott’s work at the Poétiques de
Résistance event organized by the Institut du Tout-Monde, an organization
founded by another acclaimed Caribbean writer, the late Édouard Glissant: http://www.tout-monde.com/poetiquesresistancesmars2017.html
For a complete profile of Walcott, and obituary, please see the New York Times article: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/17/books/derek-walcott-dead-nobel-prize-literature.html
