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Biography

Photograph - William Hearle

Lawrence Scott is a prize-winning novelist and short story writer from Trinidad & Tobago. He was awarded a Lifetime Literary Award in 2012 by the National Library of Trinidad & Tobago for his significant contribution to the Literature of Trinidad & Tobago. He was elected as Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2019.

The University of the West Indies conferred upon him an Honorary Doctorate of Letters (DLitt ) on the 28th October, 2023.

His most recent novel is Dangerous Freedom (Papillote Press, March 2021). There is the translation of his first novel, Witchbroom into French, Balai de Sorcière (Mémoire d’Encrier, February , 2021) translated by Christine Pagnoulle (Liège University). He is the author of a new collection of stories, “Leaving by Plane Swimming Back Underwater, Papillote Press 2015, Long-Listed to The Edgehill Prize, Long-listed for the Grand Prix Littéraire de l’Association des Ecrivains de la Caraïbe from the Congrès des Ecrivains de la Caraïbe, Guadeloupe, 2017, Long-Listed for the 2015 Frank O’Connor Short Story Award. His most recent novel, Light Falling on Bamboo, 2012, received an Honourable Mention from Casa de las Americas Prize, Cuba, 2014; long listed for the International Impac Dublin literary Award, 2014; a Special Mention from the Grand Prix Littéraire de l’Association des Ecrivains de la Caraïbe from the Congrès des Ecrivains de la Caraïbe, Guadeloupe, 2013; shortlisted for the OCM BOCAS Prize Fiction Category, long listed for the overall OCM BOCAS Prize, 2013. His second novel Aelred's Sin, 1998, was awarded a Commonwealth Writers' Prize, Best Book in Canada and the Caribbean, long listed for the International Impac Dublin Literary Award, 1999. His first novel Witchbroom, 1992, was short-listed for a Commonwealth Writers' Prize, 1993, Best First Book, and read as a BBC Book At Bedtime, 1994.

His short story collection Ballad for the New World, 1994, included the Tom-Gallon Award prize-winning short-story, The House of Funerals. His novel, Night Calypso, 2004, was also short-listed for a Commonwealth Writers' Prize, Best Book Award and long-listed for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, 2005, and translated into French as Calypso de Nuit, 2005. It was a One Book One Community choice in 2006 by the National Library of Trinidad & Tobago. He is the Editor of Golconda: Our Voices Our Lives, an anthology of oral histories and other stories and poems from the sugar-belt in Trinidad, UTT Press, 2009. Over the years, he has combined teaching with writing. He lives in London and Port of Spain.

Education

Primary - Boys’ RC School, San Fernando, Trinidad 1950-1954

Secondary - The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Tunapuna, Trinidad 1955-1962

Tertiary – Prinknash Abbey, Gloucester, England, Monastic History, Philosophy & Theology 1963-1967

St Clare’s Hall in Oxford, England – BA Hons (London External) English Language & Literature, 1968-1972

Manchester University, Manchester,England- Certificate In Education English & Drama (Distinction) 1972-1973

 

External Examiner

External Examiner for the M.A. Creative Writing Fine Arts (MFA)Course at The University of the West Indies , St Augustine Trinidad & Tobago, W.I.

 

Awards

The University of the West Indies conferred upon him an Honorary Doctorate of Letters (DLitt ) on the 28th October, 2023.

He was elected as fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2019.

Long-listed for the Grand Prix Littéraire de l’Association des Ecrivains de la Caraïbe from the Congrès des Ecrivains de la Caraïbe, Guadeloupe, 2017

LongListed for The Edge Hill Short Story Prize 2016 Link

Long-listed for the Frank O’Connor Prize, 2015

Long-listed for the International Impac Dublin literary Award, 2014. Full Review

Honourable Mention from Casa de las Americas Prize, Cuba, 2014. Full Review

Special Mention from the Grand Prix Littéraire de l’Association des Ecrivains de la Caraïbe from the Congrès des Ecrivains de la Caraïbe, Guadeloupe, 2013. Full Review

Shortlisted for the BOCAS Fiction Category, 2013. Longlisted for the overall BOCAS Prize, 2013. Full Review

Life Time Literary Award given by the National Library of Trinidad & Tobago, November 2012

Night Calypso chosen as the first One Book One Community choice by NALIS, POS. 2006

Senior Research Fellowship, at The Academy for Arts, Letters, Culture & Public Affairs – given by the University of Trinidad & Tobago, 2006 –2009

Nominated for The International Impac Dublin Literary Award for Night Calypso 2006

Shortlisted for a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize Best Book in Canada & Caribbean for Night Calypso 2005

A Commonwealth Writers’ Prize Best Book in Caribbean & Canada for Aelred’s Sin 1999

Nominated for the The International Impac Literary Award Prize for Aelred’s SIn 1999

Long-listed for the Whitbread & Booker Prizes for Aelred’s Sin 1999

Short-Listed for a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize Best First Book in Caribbean & Canada for Witchbroom 1993

Tom–Gallon Award for the Short Story The House of Funerals, included in Ballad For The New World 1986

Award from The Author’s Foundation & K Blundell Trust (Research) 1995

British Council Grant to attend Carifesta 1995

 

Profiles

Aiyejina, Funso, 2003. Self Portrait - Lawrence Scott Novelist, Short story Writer and Poet in conversation with Funso Aiyejina, The University of the West Indies, School of continuing Studies St Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago W.I. pp 163-200 (Interview conducted 16 august 1998, Maraval Port-of Spain. First published in Trinidad & Tobago Review 20 no. 12, December 1998 10-11, 14-16, 19

Ferguson, James. 2000. The Worlds of Lawrence Scott - beatprofile Caribbean Beat No. 43 May/June 2000 pp 48-52

 

Fictional Autobiography

Scott, Lawrence. 1992. Leaving by Plane, Swimming Back Under Water. God, an anthology of fiction, Serpent’s Tail edited Stephen Hayward & Sarah Lefanu

 

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

 

Higher Education (BA MA PHD)

Creative writing Workshop, The Academy of Arts, Letters, Culture and Public Affairs, University of Trinidad & Tobago (UTT), 2009

Senior Research Fellow in The Academy of the Arts of the University of Trinidad & Tobago 2006-2009

Writer in Residence University of the West Indies St Augustine Trinidad & Tobago Feb-March 2004

Caribbean Literature Course Metropolitan University, London April 2004

Writer in Residence University of the West Indies St Augustine Trinidad & Tobago Feb-March 2016

 

Secondary/Tertiary Teaching

(English & Drama in England & Trinidad)

Sedgehill Comprehensive, London 1973-1974

Thomas Calton Comprehensive, London 1974-1977

Presentation College, San Fernando, Trinidad 1977-1978

Aranguez Junior Sec. Trinidad 1978-1980

Tulse Hill Comprehensive & Archbishop Tennison’s, London 1980-1982

Aranguez Junior Sec. Trinidad 1982-1983

City & Islington Sixth Form College, London (Literature & Creative Writing) 1983-2006

 

Judging Literary Competitions

2015 Anglophone judge of Grand Prix Littéraire de l’Association des Ecrivains de la Caraïbe from the Congrès des Ecrivains de la Caraïbe, Guadeloupe.

2014 Small Axe Short fiction Award

2006 Commonwealth Short story Competition

 

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