UWI Alma Jordan Library celebrates UNESCO recognition of Earl Lovelace manuscripts

ST. AUGUSTINE, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO--A major chapter in Caribbean literary history has been formally recognised and preserved for future generations following the inscription of the Earl Lovelace manuscripts in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Regional Register for Latin America and the Caribbean.

The University of the West Indies Alma Jordan Library hosted a special ceremony on July 10, 2026, to mark the achievement and celebrate Lovelace’s lasting contribution to Caribbean literature.

The event brought together members of the university community and the wider public to honour the renowned Trinidad and Tobago author and highlight the importance of protecting the Caribbean’s documentary heritage.

The Earl Lovelace Collection was acquired by the Alma Jordan Library in 1999. It includes handwritten manuscripts, unpublished works, notebooks, speeches, plays and personal notes connected to some of Lovelace’s most celebrated works, including Salt, The Dragon Can’t Dance and The Wine of Astonishment.

The collection provides insight into Lovelace’s creative process and the development of works that have shaped Caribbean literature and contributed to wider discussions about culture, identity, community, colonialism and social change.

Lovelace was born in Trinidad and Tobago on July 13, 1935, and spent most of his life in the twin-island state. His writing career produced an extensive body of work that includes novels, short stories, poetry, plays and essays.

The inscription recognises both the literary importance of the collection and its value as part of the historical and cultural record of the Caribbean.

UNESCO established the Memory of the World Programme in 1992 to promote the preservation of, and access to, documentary heritage around the world.

Documentary collections remain vulnerable to destruction or loss because of limited resources, natural disasters, conflict, looting and illegal trade. The programme seeks to protect these materials and ensure that they remain accessible for the benefit of present and future generations.

The programme is implemented through national, regional and international committees and support mechanisms.

The Regional Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean, known as MoWLAC, was established in 2000 to promote documentary heritage of significant historical importance to the region.

MoWLAC approved its first nominations to the Regional Register in 2002. Since then, a total of 294 documentary heritage collections held by archives, libraries and museums have been recognised as part of the region’s memory.

The inclusion of the Earl Lovelace manuscripts places the collection among the documentary records considered essential to understanding the history, culture and intellectual development of Latin America and the Caribbean.

The recognition also reinforces the role of the Alma Jordan Library in preserving Caribbean scholarship, creativity and historical memory while providing researchers and future generations with access to materials connected to one of the region’s most influential writers.

Pictured left: Earl Lovelace

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