Zoanne Evans

The Best of Karl Sealy Zoanne Evans

Karl Sealy was born on the Caribbean island of Barbados on November 30, 1922. He wrote stories which captured the rich island life of a territory that was coming into its own as it gradually moved towards independence in 1966. The island went on to become a premier tourist attraction and visitors today are enthralled by its natural beauty and the warmth of its people. Sealy was one of the most prolific Barbadian contributors to Bim magazine in the mid twentieth century, submitting no fewer than twenty short stories in the period spanning 1945 to 1965. Some of his stories serve as historical markers to events that occurred on the island during specific periods. Others highlight the ethos of the period, laying bare the colour and class prejudices that divided the island and its people to reveal a Barbados that was far from perfect. Yet others touch on everyday themes of love and friendship, revealing the writer's keen insight into the complexities of human nature. Sealy's masterful use of language and his ability to say much with few words, are evident in some of his shorter stories and always, one comes away from his writings with the feeling that one has been in the presence of a story teller who is adept at his craft.