Roy Aubrey Kelvin Heath (13 August 1926 – 14 May 2008) was a Guyanese writer who settled in the UK, where he lived for five decades, working as a schoolteacher as well as writing. His 1978 novel '' The Murderer'' won the ''Guardian'' Fiction Prize. He went on to become more noted for his "Georgetown Trilogy" of novels, consisting of ''From the Heat of the Day'' (1979), ''One Generation'' (1980), and ''Genetha'' (1981), which were also published in an omnibus volume as ''The Armstrong Trilogy'', 1994. Heath said that his writing was "intended to be a dramatic chronicle of twentieth-century Guyana".

Biography

Roy Heath was born and grew up in Georgetown in what was then

British Guiana British Guiana was a British colony, part of the mainland British West Indies. It was located on the northern coast of South America. Since 1966 it has been known as the independent nation of Guyana. The first known Europeans to encounter Guia ...

, and "had African, Indian, European and Amerindian blood running through his veins"."Roy A. K. Heath"
''The West Indian Encyclopedia''. He was the second son and youngest of the four children of Melrose Arthur Heath (d. 1928), head teacher of a primary school, and his wife, Jessie de Weever (d. 1991), music teacher. Educated at Central High School, Georgetown, Heath worked as a Treasury clerk (1944–51) before leaving for the UK in 1951. He attended the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

(1952–56), earning a B.A. Honours degree in Modern Languages. He also studied law and was called to the bar at

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, commonly known as Lincoln's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for Barrister, barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister ...

in 1964 (and to the Guyana bar in 1973), although he never practised as a lawyer, pursuing a career since 1959 as a writer and a schoolteacher in London, where he lived until his death at the age of 81. In his later years he had suffered from

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...

.Margaret Busby
"Roy AK Heath" (obituary)
''The Guardian'', 20 May 2008. Rohan Heath, founder of the band Urban Cookie Collective, is his son.

Writing

Although Heath left British Guiana in 1951, "it never left him. He only ever wrote about his mother's land, never his adopted home." As Mark McWatt notes: "Guyana is always the setting for his fiction, and its capital and rural villages are evoked in the kind of powerful and minute detail that would seem to require the author's frequent visits."Mark A. McWatt
"Roy A. K. Heath"
in Daryl Cumber Dance, ''Fifty Caribbean Writers: A Bio-Bibliographic-Critical Sourcebook'', Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1986, pp. 207–16. However, "Although eath'sfiction has fed richly upon his obsessive and meticulous memories of Georgetown and the coastland, his novels cannot be called celebrations of the place and its people. They seem to reveal instead the failures and shameful inadequacies of individual and community." His short story "Miss Mabel's Burial" was published in 1972 in the Guyanese journal '' Kaie''; another story, "The Wind and the Sun", appeared in the Jamaican journal '' Savacou'' two years later.David Katz
"Roy Heath: A Man Goes Home"
'' Caribbean Beat'', Issue 93, September/October 2008. Heath's first novel, ''A Man Come Home'', was published in 1974 by

Longman Longman, also known as Pearson Longman, is a publisher, publishing company founded in 1724 in London, England, which is owned by Pearson PLC. Since 1968, Longman has been used primarily as an imprint by Pearson's Schools business. The Longman ...

, where Anne Walmsley was Caribbean publisher, with a limited focus on the local educational market. When Heath completed his next book, Walmsley "urged him to look elsewhere for a firm that could bring his work the acclaim, the wide sales, that it deserved. Who better than the then fledgling Allison and Busby?" Taken on by A&B, with

Margaret Busby Margaret Yvonne Busby, , Hon. FRSL (born 1944), also known as Nana Akua Ackon, is a Ghanaian-born publisher, editor, writer and broadcaster, resident in the UK. She was Britain's then youngest publisher as well as the first black female book p ...

as editor, Heath's next novel, published in 1978, was ''The Murderer'', which that same year won the '' Guardian'' Fiction Prize and was described by ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

'' as "mysteriously authentic, and unique as a work of art". ''The Murderer'' was also listed in 1999's ''The Modern Library: 200 Best Novels in English since 1950'' by Carmen Callil and

Colm Tóibín Colm Tóibín ( , ; born 30 May 1955) is an Irish novelist, short story writer, essayist, journalist, critic, playwright and poet. His first novel, ''The South (novel), The South'', was published in 1990. ''The Blackwater Lightship'' was short ...

. Heath's next three novels were ''From the Heat of the Day'' (1979), ''One Generation'' (1980) and ''Genetha'' (1981), eventually published in a single volume under the title ''The Armstrong Trilogy''. His other published novels are ''Kwaku; or, The Man Who Could Not Keep His Mouth Shut'' (1982), ''Orealla'' (1984), ''The Shadow Bride'' (1988) and ''The Ministry of Hope'' (1997). His novels "capture the anxieties of modernity in the face of crippling economic forces and explore the burdens of the past defined by slavery, indentured labor, and Amerindian disenfranchisement.""Heath, Roy (1926–)"
in Carole Boyce Davies, ''Encyclopedia of the African Diaspora: Origins, Experiences, and Culture'', ABC-CLIO, 2008, p. 522. He also wrote non-fiction, including ''Shadows Round the Moon: Caribbean Memoirs'' (1990), and plays – his ''Inez Combray'' was produced in Georgetown, Guyana, in 1972, in which year he won the Guyana Theatre Guild Award. In 1983, during a vacation to Guyana, Heath delivered the

Edgar Mittelholzer Edgar Austin Mittelholzer (16 December 1909 – 6 May 1965) was a Guyanese novelist. He is the earliest professional novelist from the English-speaking Caribbean. He was able to develop a readership in Europe and North America, as well as the Ca ...

Memorial Lecture, entitled "Art and Experience","UK-based novelist Roy Heath dies at 82"
'' Kaieteur News'' obituary, 16 May 2008. in Georgetown. In the lecture Heath stated: "The price the artist pays for his egotism is a high one. On one level egotism obliges him to create, while the same egotism threatens to destroy him. Success not only goes to his head, it remains there, creating demands he cannot hope to satisfy. I am acutely aware of all of this and therefore try to shun gratuitous publicity." In 1989 he was awarded the Guyana Prize for Literature for his novel ''The Shadow Bride'', which was also shortlisted for the 1991

Booker Prize The Booker Prize, formerly the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a prestigious literary award conferred each year for the best single work of sustained fiction written in the English language, wh ...

, and about which ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' said: "Heath's modest, unpretentious style undergirds a powerful realism as his subtle analysis of family conflicts builds to a tragic and moving climax.""The Shadow Bride: A Novel by Roy Heath"
(review), ''Publishers Weekly'', 30 October 1995.

Reception

Heath's writings have been widely acclaimed and he has been called "truly one of the most brilliant story tellers ever", with reviewers at different times comparing his work to that of such great writers as D. H. Lawrence, R. K. Narayan,

Dostoevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky. () was a Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist and journalist. He is regarded as one of the greatest novelists in both Russian and world literature, and many of his works are considered highly influenti ...

Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy Tolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; ,Throughout Tolstoy's whole life, his name was written as using pre-reform Russian orthography. ; ), usually referr ...

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquired a re ...

Joseph Conrad Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, ; 3 December 1857 – 3 August 1924) was a Poles in the United Kingdom#19th century, Polish-British novelist and story writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in the Eng ...

, V. S. Naipaul and others. Described by

Salman Rushdie Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie ( ; born 19 June 1947) is an Indian-born British and American novelist. His work often combines magic realism with historical fiction and primarily deals with connections, disruptions, and migrations between Eastern wor ...

as "a beautiful writer" and by Edward Blishen as "simply one of the most astonishingly good novelists of our time", Heath might have been better known outside literary circles had he not eschewed personal publicity, believing that his work should speak for itself. In 2017, ''Aftermath of Empire: The Novels of Roy A. K. Heath'', a comprehensive critique of his oeuvre, was published by Ameena Gafoor.

''The Murderer'' (1978)

Winner of the ''Guardian'' Fiction Prize in 1978, '' The Murderer'' was well reviewed on first publication and later reissues, being described by ''

'' as "mysteriously authentic, and unique as a work of art" and by ''

'' as "an impressive study of a man's descent into paranoia and madness." Wilson Harris in '' World Literature Written in English'' said: "What is impressive about ''The Murderer'' is the execution of a style that truncates emotion." In May 2022, ''The Murderer'' was reissued in the UK as a Penguin Classic, and also was reprinted in the United States by McNally Editions. Other praise for the novel has been given by Lemn Sissay ("Guyanese authors are a radiant constellation, and Roy Heath stands rightfully among them. His unique style stands out from others of his time, and ours"),

("A beautiful writer and an unforgettable book"), and

("A masterpiece").

''The Armstrong Trilogy'' – ''From the Heat of the Day'' (1979), ''One Generation'' (1980), ''Genetha'' (1981)

"A spare, bleak saga of two generations in the life of a Guyanese family struggling for respectability but unable to snatch any but the most fleeting moments of happiness. ... Like the early D.H. Lawrence, Heath endows the familiar trials of this family with an elemental power, as if each were happening for the first time. The result is harrowing in its simplicity and cumulative force." (''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...

'') "Mr. Heath is a gentle social satirist with a concise, probing style; his prose is filled with ironies, both overt and subtle.... Roy Heath's solid devotion to character, plot and emotion, to the minutiae of daily life and its buried tragedies, is not post-modern or even modernist. It is impossible, despite his work's affinities to Dostoyevsky and Hardy and the Joyce of '

Dubliners ''Dubliners'' is a collection of fifteen short stories by James Joyce, first published in 1914. It presents a naturalistic depiction of Irish middle class life in and around Dublin in the early years of the 20th century. The stories were writ ...

,' to put a date on it: the post-colonial world has its own unique time lines. To call this author old-fashioned, however, is nothing but praise." (''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'')

''Kwaku; or, the Man Who Could Not Keep His Mouth Shut'' (1982)

"Heath is a master of droll, understated comedy; his affectionate empathy with his characters is never for a moment compromised by condescension. He's a somewhat flintier R.K. Narayan, and there's more than whiff of Kipling in his avuncular fascination with scramblers and hustlers. A wonderful novel, which stands impressively both on its own and in tandem with its equally irresistible sequel. There's no longer any doubt that Heath is one of the world's best writers." (''Kirkus Reviews'') "Kwaku comes from a long line of literary buffoons who manage to triumph over the ''intelligent'' people around them. The language Mr. Heath employs to describe this process is luxurious and densely baroque in places, sweetly comic in others. The hero's clowning conceals an essential wisdom and goodness. In the end, he is unable to become as hardened and corrupt as the people he tries so desperately to emulate, and in this lies his greatest success." ( Mark Childress, ''

'')

''Orealla'' (1984)

"...this novel perhaps owes as much to Wilson Harris as to Mittelholzer, contrasting as it does the communal, spiritual and moral values of traditional Amerindian life" ( Stewart Brown, '' Kyk-over-Al'') "Heath's novels are so imbued with local sights, sounds, smells, speech and unique features of the landscape that they offer rare and penetrating insight into the history and culture of twentieth century Guyana." (Frank Birbalsingh, ''Indo-Caribbean World'')

''The Shadow Bride'' (1988)

"The Guyanese-born Heath ... surpasses himself with this ambitious, vividly written, psychologically rich chronicle—set in his own colorfully multiracial native country—of compromised ambition and family conflict. ... Heath's brilliant novel—also distinguished for its flexible and lyrical prose, expert handling of its several native populations, varieties of pidgin English, and memorable use of figurative language—was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. It's hard to believe it didn't win." (''Kirkus Reviews'') "Heath's modest, unpretentious style undergirds a powerful realism as his subtle analysis of family conflicts builds to a tragic and moving climax." (''Publishers Weekly'')

''The Ministry of Hope'' (1997)

"A wonderful comic novel.... A dramatic display of character in action that has seldom been matched by any contemporary novelist. On all counts, a triumph." (''Kirkus Reviews'') "With a fine ear for comic dialogue and an eye for the ironies of clashing personalities ... Heath ably steers his charming ship of fools and knaves through a sea of picaresque corruption to a generous-hearted conclusion." (''Publishers Weekly'')

''Shadows Round the Moon'' (1990)

"In his memoir-novel ''Shadows Round the Moon'' Heath offers reminiscences of colonial life and Caribbean culture. His reproductions of Guyanese dialect, as well as his descriptions of the Creole (black), Hindu, and Muslim communities are noteworthy." (

Raymond Williams Raymond Henry Williams (31 August 1921 – 26 January 1988) was a Welsh socialist writer, academic, novelist and critic influential within the New Left and in wider culture. His writings on politics, culture, the media and literature contribu ...

)Raymond Williams, "Heath, Roy", ''The Columbia Guide to the Latin American Novel Since 1945'', Columbia University Press, 2012, p. 245.

Bibliography

Novels * ''A Man Come Home'' (London:

, 1974). * '' The Murderer'' (London:

Allison & Busby Allison & Busby (A & B) is a publishing house based in London established by Clive Allison and Margaret Busby in 1967. The company has built up a reputation as a leading independent publisher. Background Launching as a publishing company in Ma ...

, 1978, winner of Guardian Fiction Prize; reissued 2022 by

Penguin Books Penguin Books Limited is a Germany, German-owned English publishing, publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers the Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the ...

) and . * ''From the Heat of the Day'' (London: Allison & Busby, 1979). * ''One Generation'' (London: Allison & Busby, 1980). * ''Genetha'' (London: Allison & Busby, 1981). * ''Kwaku; or, the Man Who Could Not Keep His Mouth Shut'' (London: Allison & Busby, 1982). * ''Orealla'' (London: Allison & Busby, 1984). * ''The Shadow Bride'' (London: Collins, 1988; New York: Persea Books, 1995). * ''The Armstrong Trilogy'' (New York: Persea, 1994). * ''The Ministry of Hope'' (London: Marion Boyars, 1997). Memoir * ''Shadows Round the Moon: Caribbean Memoirs'' (London: Collins, 1990). Short stories *"Miss Mabel's Burial," in ''Kaie'' (Georgetown, Guyana), 1972. *"The Wind and the Sun," in '' Savacou'' (Kingston, Jamaica), 1974. *"The Writer of Anonymous Letters," in ''Firebird 2'', edited by T. J. Binding (London:

, 1983). *"Sisters," in '' London Magazine'', September 1988. *"The Master Tailor and the Lady's Skirt", in '' Colours of a New Day: Writing for South Africa'', edited by Sarah LeFanu and Stephen Hayward (London: Lawrence & Wishart, 1990) *"According to Marx", in ''So Very English'', edited by Marsha Rowe (London: Serpent's Tail, 1991). Lecture * ''Art and Experience'' – Eighth series, Edgar Mittelholzer Memorial Lectures (Georgetown, Guyana, Department of Culture, Ministry of Education, Social Development and Culture, 1983; 31 pp).

Awards

* 1972: Guyana Theatre Guild Award * 1978: '' Guardian'' Fiction Prize for ''The Murderer'' * 1989: Guyana Prize for Literature * 1991:

shortlist for ''The Shadow Bride''

References

External links

*Mark Childress
"No Ordinary Idiot" (review of ''The Ministry of Hope'' and ''Kwaku; Or, The Man Who Could Not Keep His Mouth Shut'')
''The New York Times'', 11 May 1997. *Margaret Busby

(obituary), ''The Guardian'', 20 May 2008. *Ameena Gafoor
"The Arts Forum – A Tribute to Roy Heath (1926–2008)"
''Kaieteur News'', 18 May 2008. *David Katz
"Roy Heath: A Man Goes Home"
''Caribbean Beat'', Issue 93, September/October 2008. * Al Creighton
"Dissecting Roy Heath and Guyanese literature"
''Stabroek News'', 22 July 2018.

''Publishers Weekly''. * Colin Grant
"The Enigma of Nonarrival"
''

The New York Review of Books ''The New York Review of Books'' (or ''NYREV'' or ''NYRB'') is a semi-monthly magazine with articles on literature, culture, economics, science and current affairs. Published in New York City, it is inspired by the idea that the discussion of ...

'', 21 July 2022. * Roy and Rohan Heath
The Murderer only took him six weeks': Roy Heath's sons remember their father"
Penguin Books, 12 June 2022. {{DEFAULTSORT:Heath, Roy 1926 births 20th-century British novelists 20th-century British short story writers 20th-century Guyanese male writers 20th-century British memoirists 20th-century Guyanese novelists 2008 deaths Alumni of the University of London British male novelists British people of Indo-Guyanese descent Guyanese emigrants to England Guyanese people of Indian descent Guyanese short story writers Guyanese writers Members of Lincoln's Inn Writers from Georgetown, Guyana People with Parkinson's disease Schoolteachers from London