Eintou Pearl Springer


Eintou Pearl Springer (formerly Pearl Eintou Springer) (born Cantaro village, Santa Cruz, Trinidad, 24 November 1944) is a poet, playwright, librarian and cultural activist from Trinidad and Tobago. In May 2002, she was named Poet Laureate of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.[1]

Eintou Pearl Springer
Born (1944-11-24) 24 November 1944
Other namesPearl Eintou Springer
OccupationPoet, playwright, librarian and cultural activist
Known forPoet Laureate of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago (2002–2009)
Children3

Background

Springer's work frequently deals with social issues as well as pride in her African heritage. In 2003 she retired as Director of the National Heritage Library of Trinidad and Tobago, having founded the library and been its director since October 1993.[2] She has served as a founding member of various cultural organizations, including the Writers Union of Trinidad and Tobago, the National Drama Association of Trinidad and Tobago (NDATT), and the Caribbean Theatre Guild.[3] As an acclaimed performer and actress, she received NDATT's 2004 Vanguard Award, and through her family company, the Idakeda Group, she explores social issues using traditional performance forms.[4][5] She was honoured as Poet Laureate of Port of Spain[6][7] from 2002 to 2009.[8]

She is the author of several books, including poetry collections, for both adults and children, as well as having her writings published in a range of publications and anthologies, including Sturdy Black Bridges: Visions of Black Women in Literature (1979, edited by Roseann P. Bell, Bettye J. Parker and Beverly Guy-Sheftall), Daughters of Africa (1992, edited by Margaret Busby),[9] and Moving Beyond Boundaries, vol. I. International Dimensions of Black Women's Writings (1995, edited by Carole Boyce Davies and Molara Ogundipe-Leslie). Springer has received acclaim for her work as a storyteller and dramatist. In 2011, her play How Anansi Brings the Drum celebrated the United Nations' International Year for People of African Descent (IYPAD) and was part of UNESCO's Youth Theatre Initiative.[10]

Springer is the subject of a 2010 film directed and produced by Amon Saba Saakana, entitled Ida's Daughter: The World of Eintou Pearl Springer.[11]

Personal life

Springer was born in Cantaro in the Santa Cruz valley above Port of Spain,[12] into a staunchly Roman Catholic family.[13] She is a devotee of the Orisha-Yoruba religion. She has three children and lives in San Juan, Trinidad, having come "to the traditional African religion as an act of political and ideological self expression."[13] Her daughter Dara Healy is a dancer and a politician in Trinidad, and currently serves as Chairman of the Democratic National Assembly party.[14] Writer and activist Attillah Springer is also her daughter.[15][16]

Awards
  • 1996: Trinidad & Tobago Hummingbird Medal (Silver) for Culture[17]
  • 2004: Vanguard Award of the National Drama Association of Trinidad and Tobago (NDATT)[18]

Books
  • 1986: Out of the Shadows (poetry). London: Karia Press. ISBN 0-946918-58-9
  • 1987: The Caribbean: the lands and their peoples. London: Macdonald (previous ed. by Ken Campbell, 1980).
  • 1991: Focussed (poetry) [S.l.]: Triangle.
  • 1995: (Editor) The New Aesthetic and the Meaning of Culture in the Caribbean; the dream coming in with the rain: proceedings of the Carifesta V Symposia, Port of Spain, Trinidad, August 1992. Port of Spain, Trinidad: National Carnival Commission.
  • 2000: Moving Into the Light (poetry). Kingston, Jamaica: Ian Randle.
  • 2005: Loving the Skin I'm In (poetry). Port of Spain: Lexicon Trinidad.
  • 2016: Survivor: A Collection of Plays for Children and Young Adults. Peepal Tree Press. ISBN 9789766310677.

References
  1. Emrit, Ronald C., "Pearl Eintou Springer", Best of Trinidad.
  2. "Eintou Pearl Springer". Culture.gov.tt. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  3. Biographical note, Anthurium, Vol. 4, Issue 2, Fall 2006.
  4. Francis, Shrinagar. "Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago: A Continuity of History". The Mantle. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  5. Bishop, Verdel (26 February 2019). "Carnival tradition lives on". Trinidad Express.
  6. Boyce Davies, Carole (19 July 2002). "Eintou Pearl Springer: Literary Activism, Poetry and Performance". Archived from the original on 2006-10-14. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  7. "Poet Laureate". Archived from the original on 2006-10-14. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  8. "Eintou Pearl Springer". Peepal Tree Press.
  9. "Bibliography of material published by Eintou Pearl Springer". Archived from the original on 2007-06-13. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  10. Gordon, Zahra (19 November 2011), "Eintou Springer's revised Anansi story - Bringing the message of the drum", Trinidad Express Newspapers.
  11. "Ida's Daughter: The World of Eintou Pear Springer". British Council Film. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  12. Rampersad, Kris (21 November 1999). "Pearl Eintou Springer: A Fire Raging". Sunday Guardian. Trinidad. Archived from the original on 2006-10-14.
  13. Henry, Frances (2003). Reclaiming African Religions in Trinidad: The Socio-political Legitimation of the Orisha and Spiritual Baptist Faiths. University of the West Indies Press. pp. 94–96. ISBN 9789766401290.
  14. Lawrence, Mark (22 October 2006), "New parties vie for political space in TT", Trinidad Newsday.
  15. Moore, Gillian (6 December 2010), "Ah Payap!", Trinidad and Tobago Guardian.
  16. "‘Children have no sense of history’", Daily Express (Trinidad), 17 August 2014.
  17. "National Awards Recipients 1990 – 2000, NALIS". Archived from the original on 28 December 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  18. "Eintou Pearl Springer - Biodata" Archived 8 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Idakeda Group Ltd.
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