E. R. Braithwaite
Edward Ricardo Braithwaite (* June 27, 1920 in Georgetown ) is a Guyanese writer and diplomat.
Life
Braithwaite's parents were both graduates of the University of Oxford ( history and engineering), so he grew up in a family of educated and wealthy. He attended Queen's College of his native town, and then studied at the City College of New York, where in 1940 he earned the degree of Bachelor of Science. From 1941 to 1945 he served as a pilot in the British Royal Air Force. After the war he completed his studies at the University of Cambridge with the degree of Master of Science in Physics from (1949 ).
As Braithwaite found no employment in the industry due to his skin color, he worked from 1950 to 1957 as a teacher in London's East End, then from 1958 to 1960 as a Welfare Officer to the London County Council, where it was his job to find foster families for black children. The experiences of these two stages of life he worked in the autobiographical novels To Sir, With Love (1959) and Paid Servant ( 1962).
In 1960, Braithwaite London and went to Paris, where he worked as a human rights officer for the World Veterans Foundation and then to 1966 as a lecturer and Education Consultant for UNESCO until 1963. 1967-68 he was Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations, 1968-69 Ambassador of Guyana in Venezuela. Among the publications of these years include the autobiographical account A Kind of Homecoming about a visit to Africa ( 1962), the novel Choice of Straws ( 1965) and the essay The ' Coloured Immigrant ' in Britain (1967); in the 1970s was followed by the also autobiographical book Reluctant Neighbours (1972) and the travelogue ' Honorary White': A Visit to South Africa ( 1976).
Following his diplomatic activity was Braithwaite English professor and writer in residence at New York University, Florida State University and Howard University (Washington, DC); at the latter he holds to this day creative-writing workshops and publishes the magazine Faces and Voices: An Anthology of Literature Student out. He is also a board member of the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study at George Mason University ( Fairfax, Virginia).
Reception
Braithwaite's books are in English speaking countries until today very successful, but also triggered controversy., Braithwaite treat the problem of racism from a purely individual perspective: simplicity and artlessness accused, on the other ideological reservations have been expressed - Firstly, they were - especially for their most autobiographical character he was doing not to find social and political solutions, but he merely describing his personal way to win by fighting his hatred and forgiveness moral superiority. However, undisputed that Braithwaite's apt genre studies.
Awards
Braithwaite has received several awards, including the Anisfield - Wolf Book Award ( for To Sir, With Love, 1961) and the Franklin Prize, and honorary doctorates from the universities of Oxford and Paris ( Sorbonne ).
Works (selection)
- To Sir, With Love (1959 )
- Paid Servant ( 1962)
- A Kind of Homecoming ( 1962)
- Choice of Straws ( 1965)
- Reluctant Neighbours (1972 )
- ' Honorary White': A visit to South Africa ( 1976)