Novel
A Morning at the Office
Edgar Mittelholzer · 1950
Synopsis
In the offices of Essential Products, in Port of Spain, in the mid-forties, the story follows a single morning, until noon. Horace Xavier, a black office boy who wants to better himself, dreams of Nanette Hinckson, a light-skinned secretary whom he knows to be out of reach. From one employee to the next, expatriate English, Creoles of every shade, Chinese, Indians, a homosexual drawn with sympathy, each weighs their place according to colour and class, and the slightest gesture awakens the wounded pride of those reminded of their rank.
Context
The book grew out of a manuscript written in Trinidad, rejected by American publishers, which its author took up again in London; Leonard Woolf published it in 1950 at the Hogarth Press, and it appeared in the United States under the title A Morning in Trinidad. Its author is said to have slipped into it in the guise of two characters. The novel deals with colour prejudice within Creole society itself, and its success made the writer's reputation. Long out of print, it was reissued in 2010 by Peepal Tree Press in its series of Caribbean classics.
Who it is for
A short novel with an ensemble structure. The characters are numerous and introduced quickly.
Prizes and reception
Regarded as the most representative of its author's novels, it is said to have shown West Indian writers the way to London.
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