His Pioneering Spirit Lives on ...

The Brian Burland Centre for Research is a powerful commitment to the future of Bermudian literature honouring the contribution of a great, but largely unknown, son of the soil.

Brian Burland's fellow writer and friend, Ronald Lightbourne, once suggested that "It would be criminal for another generation of Bermudians to grow up without knowing his work." Creating this Centre began with the Burland family's generous endowment to the Bermuda College.

The Centre features two components - a "vault" which houses the catalogued papers and artwork and a Reading Room, where students, scholars and researchers can access the materials. The vault is climate-controlled and large enough to accommodate other collections that the College hopes to acquire in the future. The Reading Room, while essentially for study, is also a place that celebrates the pioneering nature of Brian Burland's work. As part of this, the College commissioned one of Bermuda's foremost artists, and Bermuda College alumnus, Graham Foster, to paint a mural - with the unique idea of one fine artist interpreting the work of another.