Writing Lindsay Barrett

1 writing

1.1 novels
1.2 plays , film scripts
1.3 poetry
1.4 editor , contributor
1.5 journalism , non-fiction

writing
novels

lindsay barrett s first novel, song mumu — allegorical novel of desire, love, , loss — published acclaim in 1967 in london, took part in readings alongside writers associated caribbean artists movement. song mumu reviewed favourably critics such martin levin of new york times, commented shines ... language. reviewing novel caribbean quarterly, edward baugh wrote of way in moves in worlds of magic , madness, myth , primitive ritual, not exploit strangeness, make them familiar, emphasise immediate reality, no less real reality of natural , everyday. in own distinctive way, barrett doing not dissimilar what, in separate ways, wilson harris , cuban alejo carpentier have done .

barrett s second novel, lipskybound, published in enugu, nigeria, in 1977. , has influenced work of many young nigerian writers interested in breaking mould of traditional creative writing. himself described work in 1972, having struggled several years writing it: exposition of heart of natural vengeance in soul of transplanted african , of violent nature of truth of spirit out of necessity.

barrett s third published novel, veils of vengeance falling, appeared in 1985 , has been used set book in department of english @ university of port harcourt.

plays , film scripts

from 1960s onwards, barrett authored many plays staged in england , in nigeria. jump kookoo makka presented @ leicester university commonwealth arts festival in 1967 (directed cosmo pieterse) , same year home again performed wole soyinka s company.

in 1973 barrett s play blackblast — exploration of caribbean history through music, mime , dance — performed in london, first black play @ institute of contemporary arts (with cast featuring yemi ajibade, yulisa amadu maddy, leslie palmer, eddie tagoe, karene wallace, basil wanzira, , elvania zirimu, among others, directed horace ové) , filmed special edition of bbc 2 s arts , entertainment programme full house (broadcast on saturday, 3 february 1973) devoted work of west indian writers, artists, musicians , filmmakers.

barrett s , after heard of fire produced ibadan arts theatre in nigeria. in 1972 theatrical collage of drama, dance , music, sighs of slave dream, first major production staged @ keskidee centre, in north london, performed nigerian troupe under direction of pat amadu maddy. portrays capture , enslavement of africans, transport across atlantic, , suffering on american plantations. various plays barrett have been performed @ mbari theatre of university of ibadan , on nigerian national radio.

barrett has written film scripts , commentaries, horace ové s 1973 bbc documentary king carnival.

poetry

barrett in addition poet, militant poems dealt racial , emotional conflict , exile, evidenced in collection, conflicting eye, published under pseudonym eseoghene in 1973. same year produced staged version of linton kwesi johnson s poem voices of living , dead @ london s keskidee centre, music reggae group rasta love. barrett s subsequent volumes of poetry quality of pain , other poems (1986) , memory of rivers; poems out of niger delta (2006), both books published in nigeria.

as editor , contributor

barrett s work has appeared in anthologies, including black fire: anthology of afro-american writing, edited leroi jones (imamu amiri baraka) , larry neal, , black arts: anthology of black creations in 1969. wrote foreword new edition of amiri baraka s 4 revolutionary plays: experimental death unit 1, black mass, , great goodness of life, madheart, published in 1997. barrett has been associate editor of several periodicals, including afriscope in nigeria, , transition magazine in uganda, , contributor seminal black british publications in 1960s such daylight, flamingo, frontline , west indian world.

he has contributed numerous short stories, poems, essays, , articles journals include black orpheus, negro digest/black world, revolution, 2 cities, new african, magnet, black scholar, black lines, west africa magazine, , africa report.

journalism , non-fiction

as journalist, barrett wrote on conflicts in liberia , sierra leone, , co-founder, tom kamara, of liberian newspaper new democrat. correspondent throughout africa news magazine west africa more 3 decades, working photo-journalist variety of publications. has maintained weekly columns in several nigerian newspapers on years, including read other side in nigerian tabloid sun. barrett continues work political analyst , commentator on nigerian current events. according ozolua uhakheme: in civil wars in west coast of africa, has played role of interpreter of essence peace.

barrett has regularly written on music, literature, film , other cultural , social issues. long-time friend of fela kuti, wrote prologue cassava republic press edition of biography fela: bitch of life.

he has written books of non-fiction , biographies.