Name: Victor Stafford Reid
Born: May 1, 1913
Died: August 25, 1987
Industry: Writer/Author

Vic Reid was born in Kingston on May 1, 1913 to Alexander and Margaret Reid.  He was educated at Central Primary and the Kingston Technical High School.  During his early life he worked as a farm overseer, a newspaper reporter and at different times edited the weekly newspaper Public Opinion and the news magazine Spotlight.

Publications

1949 – New Day
This was the first West Indian novel to be written in dialect form.  It attracted wide and intense attention from literacy critics both in the United States and Britain.

1958 – The Leopard
This was published simultaneously in England and the United State.  Vic Reid was the first Jamaican novelist writing and working in Jamaica whose work was published in both places at the same time.

1960 – Sixty-Five
This publication, under the joint imprint of Jamaica’s Ministry of Education and Longman’s Green and Co., marked the beginning of the Blue Mountain Library series of books which aimed to produce books especially chosen for West Indian children of middle and upper schools.

• 1967 – The Young Warriors
• 1971 – Peter of Mount Ephraim
• 1976 – The Jamaicans
• 1983 – Nanny Town
• 1985 – Horses of the Morning (This is a biography of National hero, Rt. Excellent N.W. Manley.)

Public Offices Held

• 1969 – President, JamaicaLibrary Association
• 1974-1981 – Chairman , Jamaica National Heritage Trust Commission
• 1980 – Chairman, Historic Foundation Research Centres

Awards

• 1950 – Silver Musgrave Medal in the Field of Literature
• 1958 and 1959 – The Non-resident Canada Fellowship
• 1976 – Gold Musgrave Medal in the field of Literature
• 1980 – Order of Jamaica
• 1981 – Norman Manley Foundation Award for Excellence for his contribution to Literature to Jamaica.

Reid’s works have become standard text books for black studies in Jamaica, the Caribbean, England and North America.  He died August 25, 1987, aged 74.

Related Documents

• ‘Vic Reid Tells: How to write a novel … my way’. By Michael Reckord.
• Victor Stafford Reid. The Gleaner, August 4, 1980. p. 2.
• The Jamaicans. By Victor Reid. Institute of Jamaica.
• Victor Stafford Reid – a biography. West India Reference Library, November 4, 1964.
• The Leopards by V. S. Reid Parts 1 – 3. By Neville Dawes. The Star, January 12, 1982. p. 11.
• Reid leads us into the fateful confrontation. The Star, January 11, 1982. p. 11.
• Local Novel Gets Top Billing in ‘Life and Letters’. Daily Gleaner, March 11, 1948.
• ‘It Seems To Me’: Honouring a writer. By Peter Simple. Daily Gleaner, April 24, 1948.
• Vic Reid – a pioneer in J’can literature. The Gleaner, February 20, 1998.
• Manley pays tribute to Vic Reid. The Star, August 31, 1987. p. 7
• Press Release: Non-Resident Canada Council Fellowship. By W. A. Richardson. July 28, 1958. . The Jamaicans. By Victor Stafford
• Reid. Institute of Jamaica. September 30, 1976.
• Victor Stafford Reid – Publications (1949 – 1985)
• Victor Stafford Reid – Awards (1950 – 1981) Victor Stafford Reid – Public Offices Held (1969 – 1980)
• The Hon. Victor Stafford Reid. O.J: His life and work (1913 – 1957)
• Book Reviews: “New Day”, by Victor S. Reid.
• Jamaican writer makes history. The Sunday Gleaner, March 20, 1949.
• The Historical Foundation of “New Day.” By H. P. Jacobs.
• Truly an Impressive Work. By Eric Coddling. Public Opinion, April 19, 1958.
• New Vic Reid novel starts series for WI. The Daily Gleaner, October 18, 1960.
• Vic Reid’s book on Norman Manley launched here. Daily Gleaner, August 10, 1985. p. 25.
• Victor Reid’s “New Day” reviewed in London Mercury Editorial. The Daily Gleaner, March 22, 1948.
• A Crisis of Reading. By V. S. Reid. January 31, 1969.
• Victor Reid’s Novel: A Memorable Experience. By Philip Sherlock. March 23, 1949.
• Victor Reid’s “New Day” Accepted by N. Y. Publisher. The Daily Gleaner, July 6, 1948.
• Vic Reid. Spotlight Magazine, 1961.
• ‘New Day’ man – a trail blazer. By George Panton. Sunday Gleaner, September 29, 1974. p. 27.
• “New Day” is Selling Well. By Leslie Gibson. The Daily Gleaner, May 9, 1949.
• Art Groups Honour ‘New Day’ Author. The Daily Gleaner, April 23, 1949.
• ‘More than a look, into a Mau Mau mind’, Daily Gleaner, April 11, 1958.
• Something of Value. By Eric Dawson. Time, April 14, 1958.
• Vic Reid’s treatment of race and politics. By W. I. Carr. Sunday Gleaner, July 9, 1961.
• New Novels. The New Statesman and Nation, April 1, 1950.
• Vic Reid makes triumphant return… by George Panton. Sunday Gleaner, April 6, 1958.
• Jamaica Press Association fetes Author of new book. Daily Express, April 1, 1949. p. 2.
• Jamaica’s history fact and fiction. Sunday Gleaner, January 17, 1971. p. 27.
• Fellowship to Vic Reid. Daily Gleaner, July 30, 1958.
• Personal Mention. By Kitty Kingston. The Daily Gleaner, June 29, 1957.
• America praises a remarkable first novel – New Day by V. S. Reid.
• West Indian Authors Questionnaire