Caribbean literary giant Dr. Ian McDonald dies at 93

Jul 25, 2026 News

(Kaieteur News) – Caribbean literary giant, Dr. Ian McDonald has died. He was 93 years old.

McDonald was born on 18^th April, 1933 in St Augustine, Trinidad, and described himself as Antiguan by ancestry, Trinidadian by birth, Guyanese by adoption, and West Indian by conviction.

He studied History at Cambridge, where he was also a gifted tennis player who captained the Cambridge, Guyana and West Indies Davis Cup teams, before settling in Guyana in 1955.

Caribbean literary giant Dr. Ian McDonald

His only novel, The Humming-Bird Tree, first published in 1969, is considered a classic of Caribbean literature, and won the Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize from the Royal Society of Literature for best regional novel; it was later adapted for BBC television.

Beyond his own poetry and fiction, he served for decades as a columnist with the Stabroek News and as editor of the literary magazine Kyk-over-Al, and co-edited several major anthologies of West Indian writing, including the Heinemann Book of Caribbean Poetry.

In 1997, he received an honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of the West Indies for his contributions to Caribbean sugar, sport and literature.

In a message of condolence, President Irfaan Ali said he was saddened to learn of McDonald’s death and described him as “a literary figure of worth and one of the Caribbean’s distinguished sons.”

“Dr. Ian McDonald was the Caribbean made flesh: Antigua’s blood ran in his veins, Trinidad cradled his first breath, Guyana claimed the fullness of his years, and the West Indies claimed his soul,” President Ali said.

The head of state said that McDonald “was a poet of rare grace, a scribe of eloquence, a keeper of our fragile, fierce cultural flame. Through the power of his pen, he projected the beauty of our flowers, our trees, our birds and our landscapes; he gave dignity to the toiling hands of our people; and celebrated the genius and majesty of our cricketers.”

“He showed us that language is the scaffolding upon which we build our tomorrows. His verses sang of both our fractures and our wholeness, our anguish and our ecstasy, stitching the frayed tapestry of Caribbean life into something luminous and lasting,” said President Ali.

The president noted that through his weekly columns, McDonald encouraged Guyanese not only to read but to read well, “pointing us toward books, prose and poetry that would enrich our minds and touch our souls.”

“And oh, how he loved the game of cricket — not as mere sport, but as the very rhythm of our regional soul. His passion for the game was but a mirror of his larger passion for life. His love for lawn tennis was equal to his love for cricket. He played the game with a distinction,” President Ali said while remembering McDonald for his years of service to the sugar industry — where he rose to become a senior executive with GUYSUCO and later Chief Executive Officer of the Sugar Association of the Caribbean, after starting out with the sugar conglomerate Bookers.

“It is sad that he should leave us now, when the hour is so dark and our nation longs for the wisdom that flowed from his pen. At this time when grief drapes our nation, we need more than ever his words to steady us, to console us, to remind us that even in loss, there is the promise of renewal. On behalf of the Government and people of Guyana, and on my own behalf and that of my family, I offer my condolences to his loved ones,” the Guyanese leader said.

McDonald also had close ties to Guyana’s private sector and sporting bodies. The Institute for Private Enterprise Development (IPED) said “Dr. McDonald served with distinction as a Director on IPED’s Board for 35 years. His dedicated service, compassion, and unwavering commitment to IPED will be greatly missed.” IPED extended sincere condolences to his family, loved ones, and all who mourn his passing.

The Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPLF) also paid tribute, noting McDonald died in Canada, hailing him as “a towering figure in Caribbean sport and literature.” The GAPLF’s statement described “the GAPLF president, executive committee, and its members” as having “paid their respects to the Trinidad and Tobago-born polymath, whose remarkable athletic and administrative contributions spanned tennis, squash, and cricket.”

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