Seepersad Naipaul (1906–1953) was an Indo-Trinidadian author and journalist.
Wiki/Biography
Seepersad Naipaul was born in 1906 (age 49 at the time of death), in rural Trinidad and Tobago. Seepersad Naipaul was the first Indo-Trinidadian journalist to work for the Trinidad Guardian. Seepersad Naipaul died in 1953 at Saint James, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
Family
Seepersad Naipaul belonged to an impoverished Brahmin family.
Wife & Children
Seepersad Naipaul was married to Droapatie Naipaul, who belonged to the influential Hindu Indo-Trinidadian Capildeo family. He was the father of six children including, , , Savi Naipaul, Sati Bissoondath, Mira Naipaul, and Nalini Naipaul.
Career
He authored a book called ‘The Adventures of Gurudeva’, a collection of interrelated comic short stories. The book was first published in Trinidad and Tobago in 1943 with the title ‘Gurudeva and Other Indian Tales.’ Seepersad aspired for his son, whom he affectionately called “Vido,” to publish the book in London so that the earnings could help the family escape poverty. However, the book was not published in London until after Seepersad’s passing. A book titled “Between Father and Son: Family Letters” was edited by Gillon Aitken and published in 1999. It includes correspondence between V.S. Naipaul, other family members, and Seepersad dating from the time Vidia won a scholarship to Oxford University until the passing of the elder Naipaul. The New Yorker featured an excerpt from the book.
Death
Seepersad Naipaul died at the age of 49 in 1953 at Saint James, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
Facts/Trivia
- Savi Naipaul Akal presents a different perspective of her father, Seepersad Naipaul, in her book The Naipauls of Nepaul Street, portraying him as a devoted family man who prioritized the education of all his children, irrespective of gender.
- The English English professor Aaron Eastley once said,
The story of Seepersad the journalist is a story of perseverance and luck, audacity, delusion and resilience.”