Derek Walcott's Nemesis Unmasked?
New details are emerging of the person who waged a sexual smear campaign against Derek Walcott, causing him to withdraw from the race to fill a top post at Oxford University in the United Kingdom.
She has been appointed to the job and is vigorously denying involvement in the smear campaign.
But according to British media reports, Ms. Padel sent emails to at least two UK newspapers alerting them to the sexual harassment claims made against St Lucia's only surviving Noble Laureate in the 1980’s and 1990’s.
In the email, Ruth Padel also pointed out Walcott’s advanced age, claiming that he had suffered poor health and stressed that he lived in the Caribbean (wah wrong wit dat).
And she was assisted by her close friend; another prominent writer named John Walsh, -click the link to see him-(http://www.meettheauthor.com/bookbites/446.html).
Just days before Padel sent the emails to the newspapers, Walsh highlighted the allegations against Mr. Walcott in a national newspaper column - the first time that the claims had been published since Derek Walcott became a candidate, reports the Telegraph newspaper.
“Have Walcott's fans all forgotten the shadows of sexual harassment allegations that have swirled around their man over the years?" wrote Walsh.
Derek Walcott was reportedly the frontrunner for the post of Professor of Poetry at Oxford; a highly prestigious job.
But on the weekend before the election was due to take place, dossiers containing information about the allegations, and photocopied pages from a book on the subject, The Lecherous Professor, were sent anonymously to Oxford academics, according to the Britain’s Guardian newspaper.
Days later, Mr. Walcott announced he was withdrawing from the race, citing a "low and degrading attempt at character assassination."
Now, less than two weeks on the job, Ruth Padel is facing calls for her resignation.
In her defence, Padel said she knew nothing of the anonymous mailings but regretted tipping off journalists.
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