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Norman
has been writing short stories from an early age. In the 1980's
he tried his hand at play-writing and acting for a theatre company,
Ebony Arts, of which he was a founder member.
His
novel, Bad Friday, about a group of teenage friends who love basketball,
was first published in 1982 by Trinity Arts, Birmingham. It was
shortlisted for the Young Observer Fiction Prize in that year and
was republished by New Beacon Books, London in 1985.
Rasta
Love...
His
latest work ‘Rasta Love’ is featured in an anthology of
short-stories by Birmingham Black and Asian writers called Whispers
in the Walls, published by West Midlands based Tindal Street Press
in 2001.
A
Love story...
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| Norman
Samuda-Smith |
‘Rasta
Love’, written in Patois,
is a love story based in Small Heath Birmingham. It's set in the
mid 1970s, amidst the energy crisis, mass union strikes, redundancies
and record unemployment.
Within
the black communities of England, a religious revival is happening,
the Rasta musical uprising in Jamaica is influencing the first generation
of black British-born youth to follow the teaching and glory of
Rastafari...
Listen
to Norman recite an exert of his story Rasta Love 
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will need Realplayer to listen to the audio.
Downloading
Realplayer...
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it here.
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help downloading RealPlayer...
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Alternatively,
read
an exert from Norman's short story 'Rasta Love' here.
Talking
Patois...
If
you need to brush up on you Patois, take a look at our
words and phrases.
| An
interview with Norman Samuda-Smith
|
We
caught up with Norman for an interview. He
talks about his achievement of becoming the first black British-born
author, the influences of roots and culture reggae artists such
as Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Burning Spear in his life.
Also his Rastafarian faith and his thoughts on the future of black
writers in the UK. Read
Norman's full interview here.
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