Alfred Fagon lived in Clarendon Jamaica, Nottingham, Bristol and London. He was a boxing champion, a welder, an actor, poet, and playwright.
His agent was Harriet Cruickshank
After his untimely death in 1986 his friends held a memorial evening at Tricycle Theatre to commemorate his life and work. The donations collected at the memorial formed the basis of the Alfred Fagon Award to recognise Black British playwrights from the Caribbean. The first award was supported by Arts Council England and The Peggy Ramsay Foundation was presented to Roy Williams .
The Peggy Ramsay Foundation continues to support the Award and the prize this year for the winning writer is £6,000. A bust of Alfred created by David G Mutasa was erected in St Paul’s, Bristol. Bristol keeps his name alive; in September 2013 the Bristol Old Vic Studio dedicated an evening to him where a full rehearsed reading of his play 11 Josephine House was performed.
On 26th October 2006 we celebrated the ten year anniversary of the Award at The Royal Court Theatre in London. A reading of Alfred’s play 11 Josephine House preceded the Award ceremony. Lorna French was presented with the prize for her winning play Safe House by Diane Abbott MP.
The Alfred Fagon Award was founded by Yvonne Brewster OBE, Oscar James, Roland Rees and Sheelagh Killeen Rees, and Paul Stephenson OBE. It is now a registered charity.
