Thomas MacDermot – författare

Conceived by Jamaica’s first Poet Laureate, Thomas MacDermot, The All Jamaican Library is where literary publishing in Jamaica found its footing. This indigenous imprint was designed to put forth work written by Jamaicans about Jamaica while being reasonably priced in order to remain accessible to the locals. Though it only ran for six years, MacDermot published two of his own novels, Becka’s Buckra Baby (1904) and One Brown Girl and ¼ (1909) comprising “The Story of Noel,” as well as E.A. Dodds’ Maroon Medicine (1905)—the first collection of stories by a Caribbean writer—and W.A. Campbell’s short story, Marguarite: A Story of the Earthquake (1907).

The first work from the series, Becka’s Buckra Baby, is a tragic story of race and class following the life of Noel Maud Bronvola. Wanting to honor her father after his death, Noel dedicates herself to helping others, eventually bringing a gift to a young child that has unexpected consequences. The second work, Maroon Medicine, is a collection of short stories that focus on the lighter sides of daily Jamaican life. Inspired by the spider-trickster spirit Anasi, these stories are a celebration of West African folklore. The third work, Marguerite: A Story of the Earthquake, is a short story following the tragic romance between George Hodlin and Marguerite. Nurturing Marguerite back to health and attempting to win her affections, the young lover’s lives and plans for the future are upended once an earthquake strikes Kingston. George now away at school and Marguerite the apple of Herr Otto Tiez’s eye, the pair try to decipher how love can last when held against the temptation of comfort and lasting security. The fourth and final work, One Brown Girl and ¼ is a spiritual successor to Becka’s Buckra Babythat focuses on Liberta Passley. Despite her beauty, wealth, education, and social standing, Liberta Passley is unable to feel satisfied. Feeling as though she must reject her African heritage, she makes a decision that unwittingly welcomes disaster into her life.

Professionally typeset with a beautifully designed cover, this exclusive edition of The All Jamaican Library is the foundation of Caribbean writing, reimagined for modern readers.

Since our inception in 2020, Mint Editions has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book.

With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.

One Brown Girl and ¼ (1909) is a novel by Thomas MacDermot. Published under his pseudonym Tom Redcam by the All Jamaica Library, One Brown Girl and ¼ is a tragic story of race and class set in Jamaica. Understated and ironic, the novel critiques the social conditions of Jamaica under British colonialism. Through the character of Liberta Passley, a wealthy woman of mixed racial heritage, MacDermot sheds light on the disparities between the island’s black and white communities, crafting a story now recognized as essential to modern Caribbean literature. “‘I?’ said Liberta Passley, ‘am the most unhappy woman in Kingston.’ She was not speaking aloud, but was silently building up with unspoken words a tabernacle for her thoughts. She considered now the very positive assertion in which she had housed this thought, went again through its very brief and enigmatic terms, and then deliberately added the further words: ‘and in Jamaica.’” Despite her beauty, wealth, education, and social standing, Liberta Passley is unable to feel satisfied. Raised as the only surviving daughter of a wealthy Englishman and his formerly-enslaved wife, Liberta feels she must ignore her mother’s side of the family as a means of rejecting her African roots. Manipulating her father, she arranges for her Aunt Henrietta, her mother’s only surviving sister and their loyal housekeeper, to be fired and thrown out. Thinking she is making a decision for her own good, she unwittingly welcomes disaster into her life. This edition of Thomas MacDermot’s One Brown Girl and ¼ is a classic of English literature reimagined for modern readers.

Since our inception in 2020, Mint Editions has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book.

With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.

Becka’s Buckra Baby (1904) is a novel by Thomas MacDermot. Published under his pseudonym Tom Redcam by the All Jamaica Library, Becka’s Buckra Baby is a tragic story of race and class set in Jamaica. Understated and ironic, the novel critiques the social conditions of Jamaica under British colonialism. Mixing English with patois, MacDermot sheds light on the disparities between the island’s black and white communities, crafting a story now recognized as the beginning of modern Caribbean literature. Noel Maud Bronvola is peculiar. Her peculiar name, chosen by a peculiar father, has always set her apart. When her father dies, Noel chooses to remember him by his commitment to the people—despite widespread corruption, he chose to act honorably and spent years waiting for a promotion within the government that would never come. In his memory, Noel dedicates herself to helping others. She gets an education, becomes a teacher, and develops personal relationships with her young students from a poor black neighborhood in Kingston. One day, struggling with her desire to get married, she decides to present a gift to one of her students. Just before Christmastime, Noel brings a doll to Becka’s mother, who politely accepts a toy her daughter will have no time to play with. Neither of them could predict the tragedy to come. This edition of Thomas MacDermot’s Becka’s Buckra Baby is a classic of English literature reimagined for modern readers.

Since our inception in 2020, Mint Editions has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book.

With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.