LOCAL historian and folkorist Gérard Besson has passed away. He was 81.
He died at his Cascade home on Monday after ailing some time with cancer.
A statement from his family stated that he founded the Paria Publishing in 1981.
See full statement below:
Paria Publishing Company Limited and the Besson family wish to announce the sad news of the passing of Gérard A. Besson, HBM, DLitt (h.c.), on 25 July, 2023. He was 81 years old and passed away peacefully at his home in Cascade after a prolonged illness.
Gérard Besson founded Paria Publishing in 1981 with a view to creating a body of published works about the history and culture of Trinidad and Tobago. He headed the company as Chairman until shortly before his death.
Mr. Besson achieved legendary renown through his work as a social historian and folklorist. Always accessible to educators, journalists and students from the world over, he literally was one of the last giants who knew the most interesting minutiae about Trinidad and Tobago’s history—and his natural ability as a raconteur brought his stories to life. He fiercely loved the country of his birth, and memorialised it in his capacity as a publisher, as a writer of historical novels, folklore books and non-fiction works, and a contributor to local and international media and academia over the last 50 years. His blog Caribbean History Archives has been visited by over two million persons to glean information about Trinidad and Tobago, and his Book of Trinidad and Folklore & Legends of Trinidad and Tobago have become modern classics.
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As a former advertising executive and head of Creative Advertising, which he had founded in 1972, he made his debut mark as a writer and creative director, influencing and shaping the emergence of an independent Trinidad and Tobago with strong national institutions. The passion for commercial art and his quirky knack with words and illustrations continued to influence his work in other spheres.
Mr. Besson curated several museums in Trinidad, such as the Museum at the House of Angostura, the Museum of the Police Service, and the Pitch Lake Museum at La Brea, and a number of temporary exhibitions and museal exhibits.
He served as a member of or advisor to various Government-appointed work groups. For seven years he was on the Council of the University of the West Indies (St. Augustine Campus) and a director of the National Museum. He also served on the Advisory Council for the setting up of an Academy of Arts, Letters, Culture and Public Affairs of the University of Trinidad and Tobago, and on the Equal Opportunities Commission.
Mr. Besson was the recipient of the Humming Bird Medal (Gold) for Heritage Preservation and Promotion in 2007, and of an Honorary Doctorate in Letters from the University of the West Indies in 2015.
“Jerry”, as he was known to all, leaves behind his wife Alice, his three sons André, Aaron and Dominic, their mother Sheelagh, his daughter-in-law Tricia and three grandchildren.
We at Paria Publishing will miss him and continue to honour his legacy by publishing and producing works about the history and folklore of Trinidad and Tobago.
