Novelist Olive Senior displays her plaque after receiving her Musgrave Gold Medal for Distinguished Eminence in the field of Documenting Jamaican Heritage. The presentation was made at a special ceremony at the Institute of Jamaica, downtown Kingston, yesterday. - RUDOLPH BROWN/CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
THE INSTITUTE of Jamaica (IoJ) bestowed another Musgrave Gold Medal on a great individual yesterday.
Olive Senior, who has documented the Jamaican Heritage with distinction in her various books, was presented with her medal and plaque at a small ceremony at the institute's offices on East Street, downtown Kingston. Ms. Senior should have received the award last year but, because she lives abroad, the IoJ's schedule and hers just never seemed to merge.
However, Vivian Crawford, executive director of the IoJ, felt the wait was worth it and thought this was a great way to end the year.
Ms. Senior was previously awarded a Musgrave Silver Medal for Literature in 1988. In the citation read by Jean Smith, Ms. Senior was lauded for capturing the authentic speech and attitudes of Jamaica.
"Generations to come will call her blessed for putting in print the hopes and fears, the accomplishments and missteps of a people and a nation," read Mrs. Smith.
SATISFY HER OWN CURIOSITY
Ms. Senior admitted that having seen the various gold medallists of the past, she had no idea she would become one of them. She said her motivation was not to win awards but "to satisfy my own curiosity." She expressed delight that the award was from those who were the ultimate judges of her work; the Jamaican people.
