Carew, Jan (1925-2012), was a West Indian writer whose work concentrated on the Caribbean identity and the rights of individuals, especially colonized peoples. His fiction typically was set in Guyana and praised the beauty and simplicity of the country’s village life in contrast to the destructive effects of civilization.
Carew’s first novel, Black Midas (1958), mixes folklore and magic with social commentary. His other novels include The Wild Coast (1958), The Last Barbarian (1960), Moscow Is Not My Mecca (1964, published in the United States as Green Winter, 1965), University of Hunger (1966), and Children of the Sun (1980). His short stories were collected in The Guyanese Wanderer (2007). His poetry was collected in Bite In (1971) and Sea Drums in My Blood (1981). Carew also wrote stage plays and plays for radio and television. He wrote a memoir, Ghosts in Our Blood (1994). In addition, he wrote books for children and a book of essays, Fulcrums of Change (1988).
Jan Rynveld Carew was born on Sept. 24, 1925, in Agricola, British Guiana (now Guyana). He traveled widely, living in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Mexico. He taught at several American universities, lecturing on African American studies. Carew died on Dec. 6, 2012.
