Famend Jamaican poet, lecturer, scholar, and creator Professor Edward Baugh has died.
He handed away on Saturday on the age of 87. His explanation for dying, nonetheless, was not disclosed.
All through his decades-long profession, Baugh made formidable contributions to Caribbean literature.
He gained recognition as one of many poets featured in ‘Seven Jamaican Poets’ (1971), and his works have been revealed in varied collections, together with ‘From Our Yard’ and ‘The Penguin E book of Caribbean Verse’.
Notably, Baugh was thought to be a distinguished scholar of Caribbean poetry, particularly on the works of St Lucian Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott. The Jamaican even edited Walcott’s ‘Chosen Poems’ in 2007. In 1978, Baugh authored the primary book-length examine of the poet’s work, ‘Derek Walcott: Reminiscence as Imaginative and prescient’.
A devoted UWI professor
Baugh was a professor emeritus of English on the College of West Indies, having devoted over 30 years to the establishment.
The Portland native was a scholar on the then-College Faculty of the West Indies and later did postgraduate research at Queen’s College in Ontario, Canada, and on the College of Manchester, the place he earned a PhD in 1964.
He taught on the Cave Hill campus of the College of the West Indies from 1965 to 1967, then on the college’s Mona campus from 1968 to 2001, ultimately being appointed professor of English in 1978 and public orator in 1985.
Baugh’s exceptional profession was recognised with quite a few accolades, together with Jamaica’s fifth highest honour, the Order of Distinction, and the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in 1995.
He additionally obtained the Institute of Jamaica Silver Musgrave Medal, the UWI Guild of Graduates’ Pelican Award, and the Institute of Jamaica Gold Musgrave Medal.
Professor Baugh is survived by his widow, Shelia and two daughters, Sarah and Katherine.
Tributes to the literary big
A number of Jamaican officers paid tribute to Baugh on social media following information of his dying.
In a publish on Fb, Jamaica’s Minister of Tradition, Leisure, Gender and Sports activities, Olivia Grange, expressed condolences to Baugh’s household and buddies.
“The voice of Professor Baugh has now gone quiet, however the physique of nice works he leaves behind is a worthy legacy to Jamaica,” Grange acknowledged.
Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness wrote on Instagram: “Professor Edward Baugh’s affect on Jamaican literature and his insightful contributions to understanding Derek Walcott’s work have left a permanent mark on our cultural heritage.
“As a nation, we had been blessed and privileged to have witnessed the immense expertise of Prof Baugh. … Might the enduring legacy of his literary contributions and profound insights provide solace throughout these difficult instances, and should his soul discover everlasting peace.”
