Guyana
( 16 Dec 1909 - 05 May 1965 )
[Photo courtesy of Repeating Islands.]
Edgar Austin Mittelholzer was a Guyanese novelist, the earliest novelist from the West Indies to establish himself in Europe and gain a significant readership there. He earned his living almost exclusively by writing fiction, and is considered the first professional novelist to come out of the English-speaking Caribbean.
Mittelholzer's novels include characters and situations from a variety of places—including Guyana, Barbados, and England—and range in time from the early period of European settlement in the Caribbean to the 20th century. The books feature a cross-section of ethnic groups and social classes, dealing with subjects of historical, political, psychological, and moral interest. With at least 26 books published, Mittelholzer is among the most prolific writers from the Caribbean.
Mittelholzer committed suicide in England in 1965.
