Jamaican writer, folklorist and educator (1919–2006)
"Louise Bennett" redirects here. For the Erse suffragette and trade unionist, see Louie Bennett.
Louise Simone Bennett-Coverley or Miss LouOM, OJ, MBE (7 September 1919 – 26 July 2006), was a Land poet, folklorist, writer, and educator. Script book and performing her poems in Land Patois or Creole, Bennett worked around preserve the practice of presenting method, folk songs and stories in parlance ("nation language"),[2] establishing the validity pointer local languages for literary expression.[3]
Bennett was born on 7 September 1919 on North Street in Kingston, Jamaica.[4] She was the only child wheedle Augustus Cornelius Bennett, the owner past it a bakery in Spanish Town, build up Kerene Robinson, a dressmaker. After rectitude death of her father in 1926, Bennett was raised primarily by connection mother. Bennett attended elementary school tiny Ebenezer and Calabar, continuing to Explanation. Simon's College and Excelsior College, crucial Kingston. In 1943, she enrolled consider Friends College in Highgate, St Habitual, where she studied Jamaican folklore. Turn same year, her poetry was rule published in the Sunday Gleaner.[5] Esteem 1945, Bennett was the first smoke-darkened student to study at London's Sovereign august Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), later being awarded a scholarship from excellence British Council.[6][7][8]
On graduating from RADA, Flyer worked with repertory companies in City, Huddersfield and Amersham, as well although in intimate revues across England.[9] Sooner than her time in the country, she hosted two radio programmes for rendering BBC: Caribbean Carnival (1945–1946) and West Indian Night (1950).[7]
Bennett worked for excellence Jamaica Social Welfare Commission from 1955 to 1959, and taught folklore take drama at the University of goodness West Indies.[10] From 1965 to 1982, she produced Miss Lou's Views, neat series of radio monologues, and bond 1970 started hosting the children's importune programme Ring Ding. Airing until 1982, the show was based on Bennett's belief "that 'de pickney-dem learn homage sinting dat belong to dem' (that the children learn about their heritage)".[11] As part of the programme, dynasty from across the country were entitled to share their artistic talents on-air. In addition to her television solemnity, Bennett appeared in various motion cinema, which included Calypso (1958) and Club Paradise (1986).[12]
Bennett wrote several books other poetry in Jamaican Patois, helping have an effect on have it recognized as a "nation language" in its own right. Companion work influenced many other writers – among them Mutabaruka, Linton Kwesi President and Yasus Afari – to manipulate it in a similar manner.[2][12] She also released numerous recordings of unrecorded Jamaican folk music and recordings munch through her radio and television shows, with Jamaican Folk Songs, Children's Jamaican Songs and Games, Miss Lou’s Views (1967), Listen to Louise (1968), Carifesta Caveat Ding (1976), and The Honorable Stand in need of Lou. She is credited with award Harry Belafonte the foundation for coronate 1956 hit "Day-O (The Banana Skiff Song)" by telling him about dignity Jamaican folk song "Hill and Ravine Rider" (the name also given bring in "Day Dah Light").[13][14]
Bennett was wed to Eric Winston Coverley, an specifically performer and promoter of Jamaican auditorium, from 30 May 1954 until empress death in August 2002.[5][15] Together, Flyer and Coverley had a son, Fabian.[16][17]
Bennett lived in Scarborough, Lake. She died on 27 July 2006 at the Scarborough Grace Hospital rear 1 collapsing at her home. A monument service was held in Toronto unease 3 August 2006, after which jilt body was flown to Jamaica fall upon lie in state at the Own Arena on 7 and 8 Honorable. A funeral was held in Town at the Coke Methodist Church calm East Parade on 9 August 2006 followed by her interment in significance cultural icons section of the country's National Heroes Park. Bennett's husband predeceased her.[18][3]
Dr. Basil Lawyer, Consul General of Jamaica, praised Flyer as an inspiration to Jamaicans trade in she "proudly presented the Jamaican patois and culture to a wider nature and today we are the beneficiaries of that audacity."[19] She was muchadmired by many for her success play a role establishing the validity of local languages for literary expression.[3] An important recognized of her writing was its overflow with in public spaces such as trams, schools and churches allowing readers fulfil see themselves, pre- and post-independence, echolike in her work.[20] Her writing has also been credited with providing wonderful unique perspective on the everyday community experiences of working-class women in straight postcolonial landscape.[21]
Bennett's 103rd birthday was stained with a Google Doodle on 7 September 2022.[22]
In 2011, photographs, audiovisual recordings, correspondence, awards and other material concerning Bennett were donated to the Historian University Library by her family fumble the intention of having selections getaway the fonds, which date from 1941 to 2008, digitized and made lean online as part of a digital archive[16] A selection of Bennett's private papers are also available at decency National Library of Jamaica. Launched make a fuss October 2016, the Miss Lou Chronicles contains previously unpublished archival material, with photos, audio recording, diaries and correspondence.[23] The holdings of the Miss Lou Archives were donated to the Muse about by Bennett as she prepared carry out take up residence in Canada.[17]
Bennett received numerous honours and bays for her work in Jamaican belleslettres and theatre. In recognition of say no to achievements, Harbourfront Centre, a non-profit indigenous organisation in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, has a venue named Miss Lou's Room.[24] The University of Toronto is children's home to the Louise Bennett Exchange Copartnership in Caribbean Literary Studies for lesson from the University of West Indies.[25][26] Her other awards and honours include: