Cynthia McLeod facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cynthia McLeod
|
|
|---|---|
Cynthia McLeod in 1997
|
|
| Born |
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 famous author from Suriname. She is well-known for her historical novels. Her very first book made her one of the most important writers in Suriname right away.
Contents
About Cynthia McLeod
Early Life and Education
Cynthia McLeod was born in Paramaribo, the capital city 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 politician in the Netherlands.
Cynthia finished her high school in Suriname. Then, she moved to the Netherlands to study. She trained to become a teacher in Child Care and Education. Later, she met and married Dr. Donald McLeod.
Becoming a Teacher and Writer
After her studies, Cynthia worked as a teacher. She helped with a project to make education better. During this time, she wrote several 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. There, she continued her studies and earned a teaching degree in Dutch language and literature. From 1969 to 1978, she taught Dutch to students getting ready for university in Paramaribo.
Life Abroad and First Novel
Her husband, Donald McLeod, became an ambassador for Suriname. This meant they lived in different countries. He was an ambassador in Venezuela, Belgium, and the United States. While living abroad, Cynthia started writing her own books. When they were in Belgium, she had a great chance to do research. She visited old archives in cities like The Hague, Amsterdam, and Rotterdam. This research helped her learn a lot about history.
In 1986, the McLeods returned to Suriname. The next year, in 1987, Cynthia's 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 quickly became the most famous novelist in Suriname. This historical novel tells a story about the sugar cane industry in the 1700s. Later, the book was even made into a movie and a TV mini-series. She also wrote other historical novels, like Herinneringen aan Mariënburg.
Cynthia McLeod has also written books especially for children. Some of her well-known children's books include Lafu (published in 1992) and Toen het vakantie was (published in 1999).
Elisabeth Samson's Story
Cynthia McLeod spent more than eleven years studying the life of Elisabeth Samson. Elisabeth Samson was a free black woman in Suriname during the 1700s. She is famous in history because she wanted to marry a white man. At that time, it was against the rules in the colony of Suriname for a free black person to marry a white person.
Cynthia's research about Elisabeth was first published as a study by the University of Utrecht. For eight more years, Cynthia studied how society worked back then. This helped her understand Elisabeth's life as a rich free black person in a society full of unfair ideas and white control. After all this research, Cynthia wrote a novel called The Free Negress Elisabeth.
Cynthia McLeod also felt sad that Elisabeth Samson's old house was falling apart. So, she started the Elisabeth Samson Foundation. The goal of this foundation is to fix the building and make it look like it did originally. The Elisabeth Samson Foundation bought the building on January 19, 2021. It is being restored and will become the Elisabeth Samson Museum.
Other Activities
Because of all her research, Cynthia McLeod knows a lot about Surinamese history. She loves to share this knowledge with others. She organizes free educational trips for school children in Suriname. They travel on her special boat, called the Sweet Merodia, along the Surinamese rivers. As they pass old plantations, she tells them exciting stories about the country's past.
She also leads historical walking tours through the center of old Paramaribo. This area has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002, meaning it's a very important historical place.
See also
In Spanish: Cynthia McLeod para niños
- Caribbean literature
- Postcolonial literature
