The Derek Walcott Library at the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College has been officially inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Regional Register for Latin America and the Caribbean.
The announcement was made during the programme’s annual regional meeting held from November 10 to 13, 2025, in Lima and Cusco, Peru. Out of 71 nominations from 15 countries, 29 were approved, including the submission for the Derek Walcott Library.
The Memory of the World Programme safeguards documentary heritage that is at risk of being forgotten, damaged, or lost. The inscription recognises the cultural, historical and literary value of Sir Derek Alton Walcott’s personal collection, which offers a rare, intimate look into the mind and influences of the Nobel Laureate.
The Derek Walcott Library brings together Sir Derek’s original bookshelves: works he authored, titles gifted by peers and collaborators, and a broad range of materials that reflect his engagement with Caribbean literature, art, theatre, history and world cultures. The collection, donated to the College in 2020 by Sigrid Nama, stands as a preserved record of Walcott’s creative world and the wider literary conversations that shaped him.
The Saint Lucia National Commission for UNESCO also acknowledged Kathy Birch-McDiarmed, Head Librarian of the Hunter J. Francois Library, who now serves as Vice President of the Memory of the World Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean. Her continued work supports the protection and promotion of documentary heritage across the region.
The Commission says the inscription reinforces the importance of preserving the Derek Walcott Library and the literary memory it holds for the Caribbean and beyond.
