RON RAMDIN

A man of many parts, Ron Ramdin has carved out a career for himself as an academic and writer

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Ronald Andrew Ramdin was born in Trinidad and settled in the UK in 1962. His first job was at the University of London library at Senate House where he was surrounded by 800,000 books. After seven years and with no prospects of promotion, he resigned and found a job at the British Museum to work as a library assistant in 1969. He was thrilled to be in the famous Reading Room, where each day he took a seat, read and wrote, hoping to get his short stories and articles published.

In the 10 years that followed he became the first shop steward for the Civil Service Union at the museum. Three years later, he was elected as secretary of the Whitley Council, a body to improve industrial relations, when the British Library was opened. Outside of work he immersed himself in learning. He gained a diploma in industrial relations at Middlesex University.

In 1979, he was admitted to the London School of Economics where he studied for a BSc in economics. Ron also developed into a prolific writer. Apart from his work as a freelance journalist for the BBC Caribbean service he has contributed many book reviews and articles for newspapers and journals. His first book was published in 1982.

Over the last 40 years, Ron Ramdin has given many radio and television interviews and has lectured at universities and libraries across Britain and internationally. In 1997, he received the Higher Doctorate, the Doctor of Literature from the University of London. He is an Elected Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the Royal Society of Arts.

In the 20 years prior to and following the publication of his autobiography Turning Pages and his original Essay: On Respect for Difference – a timely meditation on human social relations – his main preoccupation has been his works of fiction.

His novels; The Griot’s Tale and Rama’s Voyage, have been highly praised. He is currently working on his third novel Fields of Lilac. In scope and depth, Ron Ramdin’s body of literary work has undoubtedly created a new path in British and world literature.