BARBADIANS and other West Indians living in this CARICOM partner state were last evening engaged in a celebratory event at the Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination where the internationally famous novelist and social commentator, George Lamming, was honoured with the “Clement Payne Appreciation Award”.

Highlight of the award was a dramatization, for the first time, to mark Lamming’s first novel, “In The Castle of My Skin’, now in its 60th year of circulation.
Lamming, whose name is synonymous with the Caribbean’s literary history and a most eloquent, persistent voice in defence of this region’s political and cultural sovereignty, was invited to receive the Clement Payne Award as an event coinciding with tomorrow’s annual celebration of National Heroes Day, which is a national holiday.
Those aware of the varied activities of the Clement Payne Movement, (CPM)–established 25 years ago to commemorate one of the most outstanding pioneers of the Caribbean’s trade union movement–may wonder why the organisers of the award event—an annual feature since 2007—opted to honour Lamming last evening ahead of National Heroes Day.
And admirers more familiar with the iconic Caribbean novelist and social commentator may think it could be in deference to his own concept, or persuasion, in defining and celebrating “national heroes”.
As this correspondent understands it,  Lamming does not see himself as any kind of ‘hero’, though always appreciative of gestures of institutional recognition—however notable or humble– and, intriguingly, is even hesitant at times to be the centre of public attention.
Back in February 1980, when he addressed guests and students at the Graduation Ceremony of the University of the West Indies (Cave Hill Campus), having earlier been conferred with an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree, the now 85-year-old Lamming felt obliged to begin with what may have amused some in the audience:
“Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Comrades and Friends. As most of you know, I have never been a Minister of Government. Nor have I ever held public and distinguished office of the institutions of this region; and I own no wealth which would qualify me to be a donor of aid to the needy…
“It is reasonable to assume, therefore,” he stressed, “that the university’s decision to confer this honour  must be related to the facts of my working life as a West Indian writer, and their genuine recognition of this work as a possible contribution towards the cultural and political future of our people…”
By last year, when the novelist had completed publication of his  “Conversations–Sovereignty of the Imagination” trilogy, Ian Randle Publishers (IRP) of Jamaica were distributing Anthony Bogues’ massive work, The George Lamming Reader (The Aesthetics of Decolonisation)– an inspiring intellectual contribution on “Caribbean Reasonings”.