The San Fernando City Corporation has commissioned cultural personality and poet Dawad Phillip to write a book on the cultural history of the southern city from 1900 to 2020.
Phillip signed the contract at City Hall Auditorium yesterday at the last statutory meeting for the year.
Stressing the importance of documenting the history of San Fernando, Mayor Junia Regrello said earlier this year Michael Anthony was commissioned to write a book on the history of San Fernando that will focus on the development of the city from 1900 to 2020.
Phillip’s book would document mas, pan, calypso, and other aspects of culture in San Fernando city during that era. He said the council was also looking at commissioning another author to write a book on Naparima Bowl and Skinner Park.
“San Fernando has not been focused on, not presented, not preserved, in terms of research, we talking about reference. We need to develop a San Fernando perspective, a narrative, that speak to San Fernando specifically.”
He said soon they will be opening a museum which ought to have historical documents as well as artifacts.
The corporation also gave out prizes to participants in this year’s Carnival competition.
Explaining why the prize-giving ceremony was being held months after Carnival, he said “Because of the lack of funding, lack of resources, and timing.”
The completion date for Phillip’s book is in November 2021.
