An edited academic volume honoring the life and groundbreaking career of one of the Caribbean’s most acclaimed historians, Bridget Brereton, has earned international acclaim, taking home a Silver Award in the Adult Nonfiction History category at the 28th annual Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards.
Published by The University of the West Indies (UWI) Press, the winning work, *History Matters: Reassembling the Fragments of a Contested Past – In Honour of Bridget Brereton*, was recognized by award judges for its exceptional contribution to global historical scholarship. The collection is curated by three UWI-based academics: Dr. Heather Cateau, Dr. Rita Pemberton, and Dr. Ronald Noel, who brought together leading voices in Caribbean studies to craft the tribute.
As outlined by UWI, the volume is structured both to celebrate Brereton’s decades-long transformative impact on Caribbean historical research and to advance the field she helped build. It features a curated selection of peer-reviewed essays that probe multilayered dimensions of regional development, spanning economic systems, social movements, political evolution, and cultural identity formation across the Caribbean. UWI Press notes that the volume mirrors Brereton’s own core scholarly commitment: delivering nuanced, balanced narratives of the past that do not shy away from acknowledging historical complexity and contested memory.
The 2025 Foreword INDIES award winners were unveiled earlier this month by Foreword Reviews, an industry-leading publication focused exclusively on reviewing books from independent publishing houses. The annual INDIES awards were created to spotlight exceptional works released each year by small independent presses, university publishers, and niche independent authors, filling a gap in recognition for non-mainstream literary and academic work.
In responding to the award announcement, Christine Randle, Managing Director of UWI Press, emphasized that the honor carries unique weight because of its connection to Brereton’s legacy. “This honour carries special significance, as *History Matters* pays tribute to the remarkable life and legacy of Bridget Brereton, one of the Caribbean’s most distinguished historians,” Randle said. “We are delighted that the book has received international recognition from Foreword Reviews and extend heartfelt congratulations to the editors and contributors. This achievement highlights the global importance of Caribbean scholarship and reinforces the value of safeguarding and exploring our collective past.”
Michelle Schingler, Editor-in-Chief of Foreword Reviews, noted that the 2025 judging process was one of the most challenging in the award’s history, as growth in independent publishing has led to a steady increase in both the number and thematic diversity of submissions. “Each year, as our number of entrants increases and diversifies, the task of narrowing each genre category to a select few finalists gets harder. But that also makes the judges’ ultimate selections all the more exciting. We so look forward to their final choices, and we are proud to celebrate this year’s exemplary slate of winners,” Schingler said.