Norman Cameron, part two (1903 – 1983)

Nov 22, 2009 Features / Columnists, Guyanese Literature

By Petamber Persaud

(Queen’s College celebrates its 165th anniversary this year; one of the activities for this occasion is the honouring of Norman Cameron who had a special affinity to Queen’s College as student and teacher)

Back in Guyana (1926) more Guyanese than when he left, an identity entrenched by discriminatory treatment in the ‘mother country’, equipped with a ‘message’, an instrument to research, disseminate and justify, Cameron signalled his intention to stay home and mould a nation. So Guyanese he was he married while in Britain to a Guyanese, Lurline Daly. So Guyanese he was that almost all his books were published locally.
Also in the year of his return, Cameron inaugurated his own school, ‘The Guyanese Academy’ which he headed from 1926 to 1934.
In 1929, he gained his M. A. and published ‘The Evolution of the Negro’.
The following year, he founded the British Guiana Literary Society which staged workshops in short story and poetry writing among other activities. He played active roles in other societies like the Coffee House Club, the New Age Society headed by E. O. Pilgrim, the British Guiana Union of Cultural Clubs of which A. J. Seymour was honourable secretary.
In 1953, he founded the Association of Masters and Mistresses. Although the above evidence made him out to be a social animal, he declared that ‘cliquism in clubs has never agreed’ with him. That declaration supported by another statement, ‘mine has been a full life and complex with notable contradictions’, said that he was a no-nonsense individual.
Cameron’s first play ‘Balthasar’ was published in 1931, the same year ‘Guianese Poetry’ came out.
Cameron had a special affinity to Queen’s College starting with memories of good fortune attending him as a student. In 1934, he returned as an Assistant Master and in 1958 was appointed Deputy Principal. Later in 1963, when the University of Guyana started in the compound of Queen’s College, he was appointed Associate Professor of Mathematics. In 1964, he was made a full-time staff at the university and elected Dean of the Faculty of Arts. He was even housed for a while in the compound. In 1951, he compiled the ‘History of Queen’s College’.
At this point, his life seemed to be one of philosophical and intellectual pursuits, evidenced in his writing and even the manner he carried himself as a teacher. But as a youth he was ‘raiding jamoon trees, racing on rented bicycles, tormenting stray cats’.
Norman Cameron played chess with distinction, training him to be two/three moves ahead in everything. On cricket he made his mark but it is suspected he was drawn more to the outfit, suiting his nature as a dandy. He could also train a mean tug-of-war team. In 1948, he became the first President of the British Guiana Table Tennis Association. He was also treasurer of the Lawn Tennis Group. Cameron was a player in every sense of the word, confessing how he was ‘saved from being an early divorcee by a forgiving wife’.
And yet he was a family man, holding numerous house parties, devoting quality time to an adopted child, Joan, whom he would take on his bicycle on excursions to various places of interest.

Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: [email protected]

What’s happening:
• Casa de las Americas hosted ‘The First Encounter of Caribbean Magazines’ last week (November 16-20) to coincide with its 50th anniversary. Presentations on Guyanese magazines with emphasis on The Guyana Annual (formerly The Chronicle Christmas Annual) were made by yours truly.
• The Guyana Book Foundation Annual National Book Fair continues during this month at the Hotel Tower.
• Look out for the launch of Peter Jailall’s new collection of poems for children.

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