Cynthia McLeod facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cynthia McLeod
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Cynthia McLeod in 1997
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Cynthia Henri Ferrier
4 October 1936 |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Occupation | Author |
| Known for | Hoe duur was de suiker (1987), Elisabeth Samson (1993) |
Cynthia Henri McLeod (born Cynthia Ferrier on October 4, 1936) is a well-known author from Suriname. She is famous for writing historical novels. Her very first book made her one of the most important writers in Suriname right away.
About Cynthia McLeod
Cynthia McLeod was born in Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname. Her father was Johan Ferrier, who became the first President of Suriname. She also has a half-sister, Kathleen Ferrier, who is a Dutch politician.
Cynthia finished school in Suriname. Then, she went to the Netherlands to study how to be a teacher. She learned about child care and education. There, she met and married Dr. Donald McLeod.
As a teacher, Cynthia helped with new education ideas. She wrote many stories for children. These stories were published in a series called Van Hier en daar en Overal.
In 1962, Cynthia and her husband moved back to Suriname. She continued her studies there. She earned a teaching degree in Dutch language and literature. From 1969 to 1978, she taught Dutch to high school students in Paramaribo.
Her husband, Donald McLeod, became Suriname's Ambassador to Venezuela in 1978. He later served as ambassador in Belgium and the United States. While living abroad, Cynthia started writing books. When she was in Belgium, she could visit old archives. She did a lot of research in cities like The Hague, Amsterdam, and Rotterdam.
In 1986, the McLeods returned to Suriname. In 1987, her first novel was published. It was called Hoe duur was de suiker? (which means The Cost of Sugar). This book was a huge success! All the copies sold out in just a few weeks. Cynthia McLeod became the most famous novelist in Suriname almost overnight.
The Cost of Sugar is a historical novel. It tells a story about the sugar cane industry in the 1700s. Later, a Dutch publisher also printed the book. The novel was even made into a movie and a TV mini-series. After this, Cynthia wrote more historical novels, like Herinneringen aan Mariënburg.
Cynthia McLeod also wrote books especially for children. Some of her important children's books are Lafu (1992) and Toen het vakantie was (1999).
Elisabeth Samson's Story
Cynthia McLeod spent over eleven years studying the life of Elisabeth Samson. Elisabeth Samson was a free black woman. She is well-known in Suriname's history. This is because she wanted to marry a white man. This was not allowed in Suriname in the early 1700s.
Cynthia's research was first published by the University of Utrecht. For eight more years, Cynthia studied how society worked back then. This helped her understand Elisabeth's life better. Elisabeth was a rich free black person in a society full of unfair ideas and white control. After all her research, Cynthia wrote a novel called The Free Negress Elisabeth.
Cynthia McLeod was sad to see the Elisabeth Samson House falling apart. So, she started the Elisabeth Samson Foundation. This group aims to fix the building and make it look like it used to. The Foundation bought the building in 2021. After it's fixed, it will become the Elisabeth Samson Museum.
Sharing History with Kids
Because of all her research, Cynthia McLeod knows a lot about Suriname's history. She loves to share this knowledge with others.
She organizes free educational trips for school children in Suriname. She uses her own boat, called the Sweet Merodia. On these boat tours, they travel on Suriname's rivers. They pass by old plantations. Cynthia tells exciting stories about the country's interesting past.
She also leads historical walking tours. These tours go through the old center of Paramaribo. This area has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002.
See also
- Caribbean literature
- Postcolonial literature
