The Wedding Drums explores Indo-TT upbringing

SHAUN BIGGART-HUTCHINSON

The significant contribution of the Indian subcontinent and strong Indo-Caribbean influence on this region's recent history is important to the tapestry of culture, tradition and heritage which make these islands, countries and territories what we are, in art, music, language, religion and food – especially so. Our roti and doubles have their origins in the Indian subcontinent, as does Jamaica’s curry goat national dish. Tassa drums, chutney music, spiritual expressions witnessed in the Hosay ritual, in Diwali, Ramadan and celebrated on Indian Arrival Day, all are important features of the TT landscape.

Indian heritage in the Caribbean began with indentured labour and the decade’s long indentureship period is widely researched and documented in the academic arena.

The situation is different in the field of literature. Although VS Naipaul’s A House for Mr Biswas is one of the best loved and well-known novels of the 20th century, documenting, to hilarious effect, the adventures of an adolescent scholar in pre independence, colonial era Trinidad, it is one of relatively few books of fiction dramatising Indo-Caribbean lives.

Trinidad-born, UK based author Marilyn Rodwell wants to change that situation with her recently launched historical novel, The Wedding Drums published by Goldcrest Books International Ltd in May 2019. The epic story introduces readers to characters dealing with an early 20th century world where enduring Indian customs and social practices have not yet been absorbed into the evolving Trinidadian cultural terrain.

Multi-tasking on a recent family visit to Tobago, the writer has been promoting her book and making contacts with Trinidad and Tobago’s literary circles, to talk about her history, about writing and why The Wedding Drums is a crucial story for TT.

Having lived abroad for many years the newly published author explained that she often had to explain that she was Caribbean by birth because when she arrived, few people believed that she was born in Trinidad.

“I wanted to write on this aspect of Caribbean history because we all – Africans, Indians and the British – share a history that we [often] don’t acknowledge or know about. Very few people knew about the history of indentureship after the Emancipation period. I set about trying to write what I wanted to read where the history goes in deeply and comes out in the character’s behaviours.”

Born and brought up in Trinidad, Rodwell was educated at Couva Government Secondary School, before becoming a teacher at the tender age of 17.

After an 18-month period of teaching in private and government schools, her ambitious teenaged mind made the mature-beyond-years decision to migrate to England, settling in the country’s Midlands region of Warwickshire, where she has lived ever since.

The farsighted migrant trained and worked as a nurse, married and had children and for several years – as Managing Director of a manufacturing company which she founded – ran her own business.

As if that biography was insufficient the energetic mother decided to resume formal studies, which included A-Levels, a degree and master's in Business Studies. She also lectured at Mid Warwickshire Colleges and Coventry University.

As to her new writing career she said, “I loved writing but never got chance to fulfil that desire; and one of the reasons I started writing fiction is because I [always] challenge myself to do things I’ve never done before, and I always wanted to be an author.”

Training, courses and writing workshops capped with a Certificate in Creative Writing, plus determination, have brought her to the point where three novels have been completed – with The Wedding Drums the first to be published.

Speaking modestly about her early writing efforts she says the process has been “a huge learning curve. The Wedding Drums went through 20 edits; I am pleased with how it turned out.”

Having extensively researched the historical period, interviewing people and studying records, she feels her book is historically accurate and informative as well as entertaining.

“Readers tell me that there is lot in there and I weaved a lot into the novel – how the people were treated, on their religion, how British influence affected them and their education, and the next generation into new ways of thinking.”

She elaborated that “the main character is 12 years old and a secondary character with a main part is 14 years old. Young people can read the book. There are gritty difficult to read bits in the novel. I wanted readers to understand the seriousness of what happens to people when they can’t cope within a culture.”

With more novels in the pipeline – including a follow up to The Wedding Drums – and the intention to continue on the novelists journey, the writer expects her book to have a long shelf life.

“This is not a book that will be out of fashion, because it has characters that will live with you for a very long time. It’s not a history book but it’s full of history and culture. It’s informative for people who don’t know and informative for those who need to know.”