Florenz Maxwell Wins Excellence in Service Award
This past Sunday [Nov 21] librarian and author Florenz Maxwell became the first recipient of the Library Association of Bermuda’s First Annual Excellence in Service Award.
Minister of Public Information Services Neletha Butterfield commended Mrs Maxwell saying “The vast trove of treasures that she has produced – includes novels, short stories, poems and various other publications that are a testament of her love of the ‘written word’ that has helped to elevate the status of literature and the art of writing in Bermuda.”
Minister Butterfield’s full statement follows below:
Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen, Good Evening.
Thank you all for joining us tonight. This is a very special ceremony, made even more meaningful by the auspicious occasion that we have gathered here to celebrate.
It is no secret that our small island is home to an outstanding group of individuals, whose commitment, hard work, excellence and accomplishments are from time to time recognized by the community at large.
However, there are often other unsung heroes who are not recognized enough for their outstanding contributions to this community, especially by our younger generation.
On behalf of the Ministry of Public Information Services, the Bermuda National Library and the people of Bermuda, let me acknowledge my profound honour in celebrating the achievements of one of our own – Mrs. Florenz Maxwell, MBE – who has made an outstanding contribution to the rich literary fabric of our culture and who tonight is the first recipient of the Library Association of Bermuda’s First Annual Excellence in Service Award.
The vast trove of treasures that she has produced – includes novels, short stories, poems and various other publications that are a testament of her love of the ‘written word’ that has helped to elevate the status of literature and the art of writing in Bermuda.
We will do well to follow in her footsteps especially in the age of Blackberry’s, Ipods, cell phones and the Internet which tend to lure us away from the importance of literature and folklore.
For many years Mrs. Maxwell was Youth Librarian and during that time, she demonstrated a deep commitment to the development of children’s literature and encouraging our young people to become avid readers.
Her research into Bermuda folklore has raised fascinating questions regarding the role of folklore among the African Diaspora. Questions such as: Why have so few traditional stories survived in Bermuda when hundreds are well-known in the Caribbean and the United States?
This led to the publication of Mrs. Maxwell first-ever collection of Bermuda folktales, entitled – The Spirit Baby and Other Bermudian Folktales. Her work was warmly applauded by academics who also praised her efforts to unearth stories that were extremely hard to find.
Tonight, I applaud Mrs. Maxwell for her efforts to ensure that important oral accounts and folktales of our cultural history that were at risk of being buried beneath the sands of time, are properly unearthed for all of us and especially for our future generations to enjoy.
Just think 100 years from now when the capsule is opened in the Town of St. George’s – alas! Her book entitled “The Spirit Baby and other Bermudian Folktales” will appear, as this book was put in a capsule during the 400 years celebration.
It was Sir Walter Scott who once said: “Real valor consists not in being insensible to danger; but in being prompt to confront and disarm it.”
Mrs. Maxwell, whom we are honouring today, did just that. She recognized the danger of our complacency as a community that was not ensuring that our past traditions were kept alive.
She has rightly earned this Excellence in Service Award and has gained our admiration and gratitude for recognizing that when we remember and honour our history, we are much, much wealthier as a community, and she is truly a “living legend”.
Mrs. Maxwell, Thank you for enriching the lives of so many in our community. Thank you for your insight, your dedication, your passion for the written word and for the very special way that you continue to make a difference in so many of our lives.
Everyone, please join me saluting Mrs. Florenz Mazwell, MBE, our first recipient of the Library Association of Bermuda’s First Annual Excellence in Service Awards.
I can’t think of a more worthy recipient for this Excellence in Service award! I do want to share, however, some personal insight to expand on Minister Butterfield’s address.
Mrs. Maxwell was an early adopter of technology… I worked at ACT in the 80s, and got to know Mrs. Maxwell then, as she had an early model HP portable computer for which we supported her.
It is a wise person who knows the value of technology, but who is not beholden to it. Mrs. Maxwell is definitely such a wise person.
Kudos again to a wonderful person!
Paulo Correia