Journey from Trinidad to London…
Ron Ramdin pioneering author was born at No. 43 Union Park Road, Marabella, Trinidad and emigrated to England in 1962 where he has lived and worked since. After leaving drama school he attended the University of Middlesex where he received a Diploma in Industrial Relations before going on to the London School of Economics to read Economics for a BSc degree.

British Library and writing

Ramdin was the first non-white person to serve as a Union Official in the British Museum. He held the post as Secretary of Branch 849 of the Civil Service Union for 10 years and was a Member of the national Museums and Galleries Section Executive Committee for 2 years. Thereafter, he was elected first Secretary of the Whitley Council when the British Library was formed on 1 July 1973. Having maintained his passion for reading and writing he had his first book published in 1982 and continuing to work diligently to date he has a substantial body of work, described in detail elsewhere on this web site, which includes books, essays and lectures.

And various works

Apart from his work as a freelance journalist for the BBC Caribbean Magazine he has contributed many book reviews and articles for newspapers and journals. He has presented academic papers at an International Symposium of Caribbeanists, given the Opening Paper at the international conference marking the 150th anniversary of the arrival of East Indians in the Caribbean at the University of Warwick and at the Blacks in London Conference at the University of London. He has also lectured internationally at the Sorbonne, France, at the University of Seville, Spain and given public lectures at the Glasgow Museum and Fine Art Gallery, at the Public Auditorium in Murcia, Spain as well as keynote addresses at polytechnics, town halls, public libraries and school.

AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS

Over the years Ron Ramdin has received recognition for his work from both his country of origin and from his fellow historians and writers. These include:

DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2009
Presented to Dr. Ron Ramdin
Renowned Historian, Biographer & Novelist
In Recignition of Your Exceptional Contribution made towards the International Promotion of West Indian Culture by Ms Natasha Navas, The Mayor Chaguanas Borough Corporation

Announcement by the American Biographical Institute of the International Peace Prize, Man of the Year 2006
“The American Biographical Institute is pleased to announce the bestowal of its International Peace Prize, Man of the Year 2006 honor, membership in the Order of International Ambassadors as well as biographical inclusion in the Dedication and General Reference sections of Great Minds of the 21st Century to Dr. Ronald Andrew Ramdin of London, England. The International Peace Prize is awarded by the Institute’s United Cultural Convention, a group of worldwide members who strive to make the world more peaceful. Men and women who make intentional decisions to invoke a difference peacefully and whose efforts promote global harmony are individuals chosen to receive this valiant prize.

“We hope that you will join us in the recognition of Dr. Ronald A. Ramdin for his outstanding achievements and as the recipient of these very distinguished honors.”
The Outstanding Achievement Award 2006 from the Trinidad and Tobago High Commission, London
News Announcement Summer 2003
Mayor Ken Livingston appointed Ron Ramdin to serve on the Mayor’s Commission on African and Asian Heritage (MCAAH). It is, of course, a great honour to be a member of such a pioneering project, a Heritage Strategic initiative that will play a ground-breaking role in establishing landmark partnerships and a programme for action that will address the deficit of effective representation, preservation and interpretation of African and Asian Heritage. The Report and Recommendations of this High Profile Commission will guide and in time radically transform perception and attitudes towards heritage in London and in Britain as a whole.

Doctor of Literature from the University of London in 1997

“We should like to add that Mr Ramdin’s work represents a remarkable scholarly odyssey of an individual working in his own time and without the benefit of supervision. Far from cutting corners he has been truly adventurous and ingenious in discovering new sources and adding new dimensions to his chosen subject matter. He has shown great patience in rounding out and finishing off his research. His writing has commendably used a form of address which because of its openness, its lucidity and its grace should generate the envy of professional historians because of its accessibility for the more general interested reader”.
Elected Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHS) 1996
Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) 1999

The Scarlet Ibis (Gold Medal) Award
from the Trinidad and Tobago High Commission, London, 1990
The Hansib Caribbean Times British Community Award
1990

COMMITTEES

First elected Secretary of the Whitley Council and General Purposes Committee when the British Library was formed in 1973, serving in that capacity for 2 years
Civil Service Union’s Museum and Galleries Section Executive Committee
1973-1979
The first Greater London Council’s Multicultural Education Standards Committee, 1989
The first ‘Think tank’ Advisory Committee of the Trinidad and Tobago High Commission, London, 1990
The first Arts Council of Great Britain’s Black Cultural Archive Committee, 1997

 

copyright © Ron Ramdin 2000 – 2021