Biography of Martin Carter

Martin Carter was born in 1927 and received his secondary school education at Queen's College. During his early
twenties he joined the turbulent political movement for national independence, quickly becoming a leading
spokesman for the more radical forces of the movement. This prominence inevitably led to his arrest and
imprisonment by the British colonial administration in 1953. At the time of his detention Carter had already launched
his career as a poet, having contributed works to A. J. Seymour literary magazine, Kyk-over-al, and to Seymour
'Miniature Poet' series of poetry pamphlets (Hill of Fire Glows Red) . But it was during his imprisonment that he
composed his most important collection, Poems of Resistance, which was eventually published in London, in 1954.

After his release from prison Carter remained active in the independence movement and in 1965 was a member of
the colony's delegation to the Guyana Constitutional Conference in London, the final hurdle before the formal
achievement of nationhood. Thereafter he served for two years (1966-67) as a member of Guyana's delegation to the
United Nations. He has also served in the Guyanese government at home, most notably as minister of information
and culture, finally leaving the government in 1971. Throughout this entire period he has maintained the dual roles of
poet and activist, an appropriate choice in one whose most important writings have passionately advocated
involvement and commitment. Consequently the years of political activity and government service also saw the
appearance of the first half of his published output, followed by works ranging from the last of his outspoken
collections, Poems of Shape and Motion (1955) , to the cryptic reticence of Poems of Affinity: 1978-1980 (1980) .

Martin Carter's Works:

The Hill of Fire Glows Red, Miniature Poets,1951.

The Kind Eagle, privately printed,1952.

The Hidden Man, privately printed,1952.

Poems of Resistance from British Guiana, Lawrence and Gishart,1954.

Poems of Shape and Motion, privately printed,1955.

Jail Me Quickly, privately printed,1963.

Poems of Succession, New Beacon,1977.

Poems of Affinity, Release,1980.

Selected Poems, Demerara,1989.