H. G. de Lisser

Herbert George de Lisser CMG (9 December 1878 – 19 May 1944) was a Jamaican journalist and author. He has been called "one of the most conspicuous figures in the history of West Indian literature".[1]

Early life

De Lisser was born in Falmouth, Jamaica, to parents who were of Afro-Jewish descent,[2] and attended the Collegiate School in Kingston.[1]

Career in journalism

He started work at the Institute of Jamaica at the age of 14. Three years later he joined the Jamaica Daily Gleaner, of which his father was editor, as a proofreader, and two years later became a reporter on the Jamaica Times.

In 1903, De Lisser became assistant editor of the Gleaner and was editor within the year. He wrote several articles for the paper every day.

Literary career

In 1909 he published a collection of essays, In Cuba and Jamaica, and 1912 saw the publication of his second book, Twentieth Century Jamaica.[2] He went on to produce a novel or non-fiction book every year. His first work of fiction, Jane: A Story of Jamaica, is significant for being the first West Indian novel to have a central black character.[1]

Another famous novel of his, The White Witch of Rosehall (1929), is linked to a legend of a haunting in Jamaica. De Lisser also wrote several plays.[1] In December 1920 he began publishing an annual magazine, Planters' Punch.[3]

Other activities

De Lisser devoted much time and effort to the revival of the Jamaican sugar industry and represented Jamaica at a number of sugar conferences around the world. He was also general secretary of the Jamaica Imperial Association, honorary president of the Jamaica Press Association, and chairman of the West Indian section of the Empire Press Union.

He was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 1920 New Year Honours.[4]

Selected bibliography

Footnotes
  1. Michael Hughes, "De Lisser, Herbert G.", A Companion to West Indian Literature, Collins, 1979, pp. 40–42.
  2. Rhonda Cobham, "de Lisser, Herbert George", in Eugene Benson and L. W. Conolly (eds), Encyclopedia of Post-Colonial Literatures in English, Routledge (1994), 2nd edition 2005, p. 349.
  3. de Lisser, Herbert G. "Planters' Punch". Digital Library of the Caribbean. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  4. "No. 31712". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1919. p. 4.

References
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