The UWI Regional Headquarters, Jamaica. W.I. Tuesday, July 29, 2025—The University of the West Indies Press (UWI Press) is pleased to announce that two of its publications have received distinguished Caribbean awards.
"Near a Plantation: Free Villages of Barbados, 1840-1945" by Professor Emeritus Sir Woodville Marshall has received the 2025 Elsa Goveia Memorial Book Prize. This biennial award, presented by the Association of Caribbean Historians, recognises notable contributions to Caribbean history. The announcement was made in June during the 56th Annual Conference of the Association.
It has been awarded third place in the 2025 Gordon K. and Sybil Lewis Award earlier this month. This award is presented by the Caribbean Studies Association (CSA), which is the leading organisation for scholars and practitioners focused on the Caribbean region, including Central America and the Caribbean Coast of South America. The CSA is dedicated to promoting Caribbean studies from a multidisciplinary and multicultural perspective.
In extending congratulations to the authors, Director of the UWI Press, Christine A. Randle, commented, “We are delighted for our authors and the continuation of the UWI Press’s rich legacy as a Caribbean publisher with a strong track record of outstanding scholarly works by regional researchers.”
In Near a Plantation, Professor Emeritus Sir Woodville Marshallpresents a transformative account of post-slavery Barbados. Through meticulous examination of wills and deeds, Marshall challenges established assumptions, delving deep into the complex dynamics that influenced the lives of former slaves. His exploration offers a comprehensive perspective that reshapes our understanding of how free villages came to be in Barbados.
Politics in an Island State offers a fresh, insightful look at Jamaican politics and governance through the life of Wills O. Isaacs, an influential yet often overlooked political figure. Professor Emerita Diane Austin-Brooschallenges dominant narratives of crime and chaos by tracing the island’s complex history of decolonization, industrialization, and social democracy. It’s a must-read for anyone interested in Caribbean society, leadership, and development.
Copies of Near a Plantation and Politics in an Island State are available for purchase at www.uwipress.com. For ordering inquiries, examination or review copies, or to request an interview with the author, please contact uwipress.mktg@uwimona.edu.jm.
About The University of the West Indies
The UWI has been and continues to be a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development, residing at the center of all efforts to improve the well-being of people across the region for over 75 years. From a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948, The UWI is today an internationally respected, global university with nearly 50,000 students and five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda and its Global Campus, and global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe.
The UWI offers over 1000 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the Caribbean’s leading university, it possesses the largest pool of Caribbean intellect and expertise committed to confronting the critical issues of our region and the wider world.
The UWI has been consistently ranked among the best in the world by the most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education (THE). Since The UWI’s 2018 debut in THE’s rankings, it has performed well in multiple schemes—among them including World University Rankings, Golden Age University Rankings (between 50 and 80 years old), Latin America Rankings, and the Impact Rankings for its response to the world’s biggest concerns, outlined in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Good Health and Well-being; Gender Equality and Climate Action.
Learn more at www.uwi.edu.
