A Branch to Rest On: The Autobiography of George Wright

George Wright’s autobiography is the unforgettable story of a man who rose from poverty and hardship to build a life of dignity and purpose. Born into great need in the fishing village of Sans Souci, Wright endured abuse, hunger and instability. Yet he discovered early his gift as a keen observer, recording with humour and honesty the everyday details of Trinidadian life: funerals and festivals, bush medicine and obeah, the rhythms of school and village community.

As a young runaway in Port of Spain, Wright survived by ingenuity: working as a yard boy, factory hand, bauxite loader, trader in Suriname, even living in a tree. Along the way, he read Shakespeare and Dickens, painted houses, bartended, fought when challenged, and captured it all with extraordinary clarity.

His life transformed when he found love, built a home in Laventille and earned respect as “man of business” for a local entrepreneur. More than memoir, Wright’s story is a testament to resilience, integrity and hope, an inspiring Caribbean life narrative for all readers of autobiography.

Elizabeth Cadiz Topp is an independent curator, arts educator and award-winning documentary filmmaker. She is the author of Deep Indigo (2021) and acclaimed for films on Caribbean history.

Anthony Luengo is a former lecturer in English at UWI, St Augustine and Cave Hill who later served as editorial director at Oxford University Press in Toronto and publications coordinator at Massey College, University of Toronto. His work includes literary essays and textbooks for Canada and the Caribbean.

Lise Winer is professor emerita of Second Language Education at McGill University. She taught applied linguistics and second language learning for three decades. Her publications include Badjohns, Bhaaji & Banknote Blue and the acclaimed Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago.