I just got news from Kee Thuan Chye that author/playwright Lloyd Fernando, passed away last night. Even as we speak words of tribute are being written by his friends, and I will be linking to those over the next few days.Lloyd spent the last 11 years of his life wheelchair bound after a major stroke. I met him just once before that, and was impressed with his warmth and sincerity.
My condolences and love to his wife, Marie, and daughters Eva and Sunetra.
Postscript :
Zedeck on the Kakiseni blog remembers him through his work :
I read Green is the Colour in one sleepless night, and while I did not completely enjoy it, it affected me more than I had anticipated. I grew up with 22 Malaysian Stories in my family library, and it was the very first artifact of Malaysian English-language literature I consumed.Raman in his obituary on the Silverfish website :
You have done your bit and you will never be forgotten. It will be for us to carry on. You made have that a little easier though.
3 comments:
I'm deeply saddened by this. I didn't even know he was ill. _Green is the Colour_ has been an inspiration for me -- not so much in terms of style (I feel the same way Zedeck Siew feels about it), but in other ways. It's a book full of courage and compassion. I should read _22 Malaysian Stories_ now.
-- Preeta
Very sad... I wished I had the opportunity to have met him while he was alive. I read Scorpion Orchid as an undergraduate, and though the book wasn't really that good for me, I really admired the ambition and vision he set out to achieve and create in the novel. He tried to forge at one a dystopian historical Malaysian myth , mixing both real and fictional historical sources with Modernist techniques.
One thing though, I'm curious to know his impact as a teacher and professor, having taught many students literature at UM for a good many years, before going on to do law.
A little late, but it was only today that I realised that it was THAT Lloyd Fernando who passed away - the author of Green is the colour, which sits proudly on my bookshelf facing me at this moment.
It only came home to me this afternoon as I was introduced to one of his daughters by good friend Antares in his vert milieu.
Sadly another great man passing - recently we have had Redza Piyadasa and S.H.Alatas and now Lloyd Fernandes.
Malaysia is becoming a little short of these types of talent unfortunately.
Post a Comment