A novel of a personal and intellectual quest in postwar Trinidad.

In the post-war Caribbean colony, as an earlier generation thinks of returning to India, Foster, a young man, goes to England and Rufus his brother leaves for the United States, each in search of himself and his world.

Combining his characteristic humour with a vivid sense of place, Selvon's An Island is a World tells a moving story of personal and intellectual quest in our time.

With an introduction by Kenneth Ramchand.

Sam Selvon's profile page

Sam Selvon (1923 - 1994) was born in Trinidad and moved to Britain in 1950. His first novel, A Brighter Sun, was published in 1952, bringing him instant recognition. He spent more than twenty years in the UK where he wrote most of his major works. The Lonely Londoners, his novel about West Indian immigrants in postwar London, is considered a modern classic. His other novels include Moses Ascending and Moses Migrating. He left the UK in 1978 for Canada where he settled with his family in Calgary, Alberta.

"Selvon writes with great charm." --The New York Times

"A ... lyrical, moving writer." --New Statesman

"His evocative descriptions . . . his humourous affectionate portrayal of character and his subtle use of folklore . . . are evidence of a master yarn-spinner." --The Globe and Mail