Bennett, Louise Simone (1919–)

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Bennett, Louise Simone (1919–)

Jamaican poet, actress, folklorist, singer and radio personality. Name variations: Miss Lou; Miss Lulu; Louise Bennett-Coverly. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Sept 7, 1919; educated at St. Simon's College, Friends College and Royal Academy of Dramatic Art; m. Eric "Chalk Talk" Coverly, 1954.

Often working in the Jamaican Creole dialect, wrote stories of Jamaica and its people, finding humor in even the most serious subjects; performed her poetry at outdoor theaters and was occasionally published, but Jamaican literary community was difficult to penetrate; studied acting in London and eventually appeared on a radio show there; moved to NY to work in theater (1953); with Eric Coverly, coproduced folk musical Day in Jamaica; with husband, returned to Jamaica (1955), where respect for Jamaican dialect was increasing; as an artistic envoy for Jamaican Social Welfare Commission, traveled the country performing and teaching; began to draw crowds of 60,000. Works include M's Lulu Sez: A Collection of Dialect Poems (1949), Laugh With Louise (1961) and Jamaica Labrish (1966).

See also Women in World History.

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