The Cultural Development Foundation in collaboration with the Nobel Laureate Festival invites you to the Sir Derek Walcott Memorial Lecture” presented by Mr. Mac Donald Dixon, a Saint Lucian Author and Poet under the theme, ” AFTER DEREK WALCOTT – The Saint Lucia Poetic Tradition “. The lecture will commence at 7:30 PM on Tuesday 21st January, 2020 at the Conference Room of the Financial Administrative Center, Pointe Seraphine, Castries.
About the Lecturer: 
| Mac Donald Ernest Dixon was born in Castries, St. Lucia in 1944. He attended the Canon Laurie Anglican Primary School and St. Mary’s College and from quite early on he manifested the multi-facededness which continues to mark his work as an artist. As a student, while he was filling his exercise books with adolescent poetry, he was also covering pages of his drawing books with sketches. To what extent the powerful example of Derek Walcott was a significant factor at that stage may be debated. But it is clear that, like Walcott, the rich visuality in Dixon’s poetry was and is nourished by his talent as a visual artist.
After graduating from the St. Mary’s College, he joined the Royal Bank of Canada and later the National Commercial Bank of Saint Lucia where he went on, over a thirty year period, to forge a successful career in that most unpoetic of professions – banking. During that period he rose steadily to the highest banking position at the Royal Bank of St. Lucia, becoming its first local manager and when the National Commercial Bank of Saint Lucia was established he was at the helm there as well as its first Managing Director in 1981. Dixon also went on to serve in the capacity of Trade and Commerce Advisor to the Government of St. Lucia.
His production of Beckett in 1969 excited a burst of critical reaction and a spirited defence of his work as a director which still makes interesting reading. Dixon also found himself being drawn toward playwriting. One of his early works being Diablotin which was produced in Dominica. Though the Arts Guild came to an end before any of his work was staged, he continued to write plays, drawing heavily on his knowledge of the folk heritage and local history. One of his plays, the folk musical, Tinday, directed by George “Fish” Alphonse and featuring music by Charles Cadet, was Saint Lucia’s theatrical presentation at CARIFESTA 5 in 1992 in Trinidad. An accomplished photographer, Dixon’s hopeless love for his country is transcended through his love of photography, capturing and documenting St. Lucia’s landscape and rich Cultural Heritage, from the euphoria of a Carnival Band to the beauty and simplicity of a solitary flower. Dixon’s first publication was a collection of poems entitled Pebbles (1973). He then set his hand to writing plays, and his work began to appear in such magazines and anthologies as Agenda, Bim Magazine, Callaloo, Caribbean Quarterly, Caribbean Writer and Wasafari. In his writings, Dixon seeks to recreate the history of his people’s myths and legends to serve as a reference for contemporary and future writers in his country. He also has a short-story collection Careme to his credit along with three novels, the latest of which, Saints of Little Paradise, takes as its subject the initial contact of two civilisations – that of Europe with that of the New World – and their capacity to connect with one another and progress towards fusion. Themes of survival, resistance and the fight for freedom are also recurrent in his workDixon’s Biography of works includes and are not limited to: |
Novels and Short Stories
Poetry
Plays
Dixon, over the years has continued his quest to guide and bridge the gap to the new generation of writers, directors and artistes. He has made surprise cameo appearances in productions such as Papa Diable. Helped developed and staged “One for the Road” with Kingsley Powlette (1972), Co-directed Melania Daniel’s “Jesus of Conway” with Drenia Frederick (2003). His exploratory theatrical work with St. Mary’s College students, readings with young writers of the St. Lucia Writers Forum and his 2019 guidance on Jessie Myers and Monique Auguste’s “A Little Folk Tale” St. Lucia’s theatrical contribution for Carifesta XIV are all part of the mentoring that has marked his continuing artistic journey. Dixon has steadfastly served his country over the years in many important position including that of Acting Governor General of St. Lucia when required. Though Dixon’s character and personality, continues to reflect that of a modest man focused on work and not accolades, the societal recognition of his work and contribution to the Arts is manifested in him being awarded the Saint Lucia National Medal of Merit [1993] for his longstanding contribution to literature and photography. The Cultural Development Foundation in 2005 also bestowed on Dixon the Lifetime Achievement Award for his invaluable contribution to the Arts in St. Lucia.
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