About: Egbert Martin

Egbert Martin (c. 1861 – June 23, 1890), writing under the alias Leo, was a 19th-century Guyanese poet. His poetry deal mostly with spiritual topics, while also focusing on the themes of African-Guianese history. Recurring themes of his works include change, disintegration, and death, which have been frequently associated with his frail health condition. Martin was highly regarded by contemporary critics and is considered as Guyana's first major poet, despite his death from tuberculosis at the age of 29. He is regarded as the founder of modern Guyanese literature.