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Jamaica Kincaid (; born May 25, 1949) is an Antiguan-American novelist, essayist, gardener, and gardening writer. She was born in St. John's,
Antigua Antigua ( ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the native population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua and Bar ...
(part of the twin-island nation of
Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda (, ) is a sovereign country in the West Indies. It lies at the juncture of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean in the Leeward Islands part of the Lesser Antilles, at 17°N latitude. The country consists of two maj ...
). She lives in
North Bennington, Vermont North Bennington is an incorporated village in the town of Bennington in Bennington County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,716 at the 2020 census. The North Bennington Historic District was added to the National Register of Histori ...
and is Professor of African and African American Studies in Residence at
Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
during the academic year.


Biography


Early life

Jamaica Kincaid was born Elaine Potter Richardson in St John's, Antigua, on May 25, 1949. She grew up in relative poverty with her mother, a literate, cultured woman and homemaker, and her stepfather, a carpenter. She was very close to her mother until her three brothers were born in quick succession, starting when Kincaid was nine years old. After her brothers' births, she resented her mother, who thereafter focused primarily on the brothers' needs. Kincaid later recalled,
Our family money remained the same, but there were more people to feed and to clothe, and so everything got sort of shortened, not only material things but emotional things. The good emotional things, I got a short end of that. But then I got more of things I didn't have, like a certain kind of cruelty and neglect.
In a ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' interview, Kincaid also said: "The way I became a writer was that my mother wrote my life for me and told it to me." Kincaid received (and frequently excelled in) a British education growing up, as Antigua did not gain
independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...
from the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
until 1981. Although she was intelligent and frequently tested at the top of her class, Kincaid's mother removed her from school at 16 to help support the family when her third and last brother was born, because her stepfather was ill and could no longer provide for the family. In 1966, when Kincaid was 17, her mother sent her to Scarsdale, a wealthy suburb of
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, to work as an ''
au pair An au pair (; plural: au pairs) is a helper from a foreign country working for, and living as part of, a host family. Typically, au pairs take on a share of the family's responsibility for childcare as well as some housework, and receive a monet ...
''. After this move, Kincaid refused to send money home; "she left no forwarding address and was cut off from her family until her return to Antigua 20 years later".


Family

In 1979, Kincaid married the composer and
Bennington College Bennington College is a private liberal arts college in Bennington, Vermont. Founded in 1932 as a women's college, it became co-educational in 1969. It claims to be the first college to include visual and performing arts as an equal partner in ...
professor
Allen Shawn Allen Evan Shawn (born August 27, 1948)''Vermont, Marriage Records, 1909-2008'' is an American composer, pianist, educator, and author who lives in Vermont. His music Shawn began composing at the age of ten, but dates his mature work from 1977. ...
, son of longtime ''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' editor
William Shawn William Shawn ('' né'' Chon; August 31, 1907 – December 8, 1992) was an American magazine editor who edited ''The New Yorker'' from 1952 until 1987. Early life and education Shawn was born William Chon on August 31, 1907, in Chicago, Illino ...
and brother of actor
Wallace Shawn Wallace Michael Shawn (born November 12, 1943) is an American actor, playwright, and essayist. His film roles include Wally Shawn (a fictionalized version of himself) in '' My Dinner with Andre'' (1981), Vizzini in ''The Princess Bride'' (1987), ...
. The couple divorced in 2002. They have two children: a son, Harold, the music producer/songwriter Levelsoundz, a graduate of
Northeastern University Northeastern University (NU) is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Boston. Established in 1898, the university offers undergraduate and graduate programs on its main campus as well as satellite campuses in ...
; and a daughter, Annie, who graduated from Harvard and now works in marketing. Kincaid is president of the official Levelsoundz Fan Club. Kincaid is a keen gardener who has written extensively on the subject. She is a
convert Conversion or convert may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * "Conversion" (''Doctor Who'' audio), an episode of the audio drama ''Cyberman'' * "Conversion" (''Stargate Atlantis''), an episode of the television series * "The Conversion" ...
to
Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...
.


Career overview

While working as an ''au pair'', Kincaid enrolled in evening classes at a community college.Benson, Kristin M., and Hagseth, Cayce. (2001). "Jamaica Kincaid." ''Voices from the Gaps''. University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy. Retrieved August 7, 2018. After three years, she resigned from her job to attend
Franconia College Franconia College was a small experimental liberal arts college in Franconia, New Hampshire, United States. It opened in 1963 in Dow Academy and the site of the Forest Hills Hotel on Agassiz Road, and closed in 1978, after years of declining enr ...
in New Hampshire on a full scholarship. She dropped out after a year and returned to New York, where she started writing for teenage girls' magazine ''Ingénue'', ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...
'' and ''
Ms. Ms. (American English) or Ms (British English; normally , but also , or when unstressed)''Oxford English Dictionary'' online, Ms, ''n.2''. Etymology: "An orthographic and phonetic blend of Mrs ''n.1'' and miss ''n.2'' Compare mizz ''n.'' The pr ...
'' magazine. She changed her name to Jamaica Kincaid in 1973, when her writing was first published. She described this name change as "a way for erto do things without being the same person who couldn't do them — the same person who had all these weights". Kincaid explained that "Jamaica" is an English corruption of what Columbus called Xaymaca, the part of the world that she comes from, and "Kincaid" appeared to go well with "Jamaica". Her short fiction appeared in ''
The Paris Review ''The Paris Review'' is a quarterly English-language literary magazine established in Paris in 1953 by Harold L. Humes, Peter Matthiessen, and George Plimpton. In its first five years, ''The Paris Review'' published works by Jack Kerouac, Philip ...
'', and in ''The New Yorker'', where her 1990 novel ''
Lucy Lucy is an English feminine given name derived from the Latin masculine given name Lucius with the meaning ''as of light'' (''born at dawn or daylight'', maybe also ''shiny'', or ''of light complexion''). Alternative spellings are Luci, Luce, Lu ...
'' was originally serialized. Kincaid is a writer, whose work has been both praised and criticized for its subject matter because it largely draws upon her own life, and her tone is often perceived as angry. Kincaid counters that many writers draw upon personal experience, so to describe her writing as autobiographical and angry is not valid criticism. Jamaica Kincaid was named the 50th commencement speaker at
Bard College at Simon's Rock Bard College at Simon's Rock (more commonly known as Simon's Rock) is a private residential liberal arts college in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. It is a unit of Bard College, which is located in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. The school is ...
in 2019.


''The New Yorker''

As a result of her budding writing career and friendship with George W. S. Trow, who wrote many pieces for ''The New Yorker'' column "The Talk of the Town", Kincaid became acquainted with ''New Yorker'' editor William Shawn, who was impressed with her writing. He employed her as a staff writer in 1976 and eventually as a featured columnist for ''Talk of the Town'' for nine years. Shawn's tutelage legitimized Kincaid as a writer and proved pivotal to her development of voice. In all, she was a staff writer for ''The New Yorker'' for 20 years. She resigned from ''The New Yorker'' in 1996 when then editor
Tina Brown Christina Hambley Brown, Lady Evans (born 21 November 1953), is an English journalist, magazine editor, columnist, talk-show host, and author of '' The Diana Chronicles'' (2007) a biography of Diana, Princess of Wales, '' The Vanity Fair Diari ...
chose actress
Roseanne Barr Roseanne Cherrie Barr (born November 3, 1952) is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and former presidential candidate. Barr began her career in stand-up comedy before gaining acclaim in the television sitcom '' Roseanne'' (1988– ...
to guest-edit an issue as an original feminist voice. Though circulation rose under Brown, Kincaid was critical of Brown's direction in making the magazine less literary and more celebrity-oriented. Kincaid recalls that when she was a writer for ''The New Yorker'', she would often be questioned, particularly by women, on how she was able to obtain her position. Kincaid felt that these questions were posed because she was a young black woman "from nowhere… I have no credentials. I have no money. I literally come from a poor place. I was a servant. I dropped out of college. The next thing you know I'm writing for ''The New Yorker'', I have this sort of life, and it must seem annoying to people." ''Talk Stories'' was later published in 2001 as a collection of "77 short pieces Kincaid wrote for ''The New Yorkers 'Talk of the Town' column between 1974 and 1983".


Recognition

In December 2021, Kincaid was announced as the recipient of the 2022 ''Paris Review'' Hadada Prize, the magazine's annual lifetime achievement award.


Writing

Her novels are loosely autobiographical, though Kincaid has warned against interpreting their autobiographical elements too literally: "Everything I say is true, and everything I say is not true. You couldn't admit any of it to a court of law. It would not be good evidence." Her work often prioritizes "impressions and feelings over plot development" and features conflict with both a strong maternal figure and colonial and
neocolonial Neocolonialism is the continuation or reimposition of imperialist rule by a state (usually, a former colonial power) over another nominally independent state (usually, a former colony). Neocolonialism takes the form of economic imperialism, gl ...
influences. Excerpts from her non-fiction book '' A Small Place'' were used as part of the narrative for Stephanie Black's 2001 documentary, ''
Life and Debt ''Life and Debt'' is a 2001 American documentary film directed by Stephanie Black. It examines the economic and social situation in Jamaica, and specifically how the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank's structural adjustment polic ...
''. One of Kincaid's contributions according to
Henry Louis Gates, Jr Henry Louis "Skip" Gates Jr. (born September 16, 1950) is an American literary critic, professor, historian, and filmmaker, who serves as the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African and African Ame ...
, African-American
literary critic Literary criticism (or literary studies) is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of literature's goals and methods. Th ...
, scholar, writer, and
public intellectual An intellectual is a person who engages in critical thinking, research, and reflection about the reality of society, and who proposes solutions for the normative problems of society. Coming from the world of culture, either as a creator or a ...
, is that:


Themes

Kincaid's writing explores such themes as
colonialism Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their relig ...
and colonial legacy,
postcolonialism Postcolonialism is the critical academic study of the cultural, political and economic legacy of colonialism and imperialism, focusing on the impact of human control and exploitation of colonized people and their lands. More specifically, it is a ...
and
neo-colonialism Neocolonialism is the continuation or reimposition of imperialist rule by a state (usually, a former colonial power) over another nominally independent state (usually, a former colony). Neocolonialism takes the form of economic imperialism, gl ...
,
gender Gender is the range of characteristics pertaining to femininity and masculinity and differentiating between them. Depending on the context, this may include sex-based social structures (i.e. gender roles) and gender identity. Most cultures u ...
and sexuality, renaming, mother-daughter relationships,
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
and
American imperialism American imperialism refers to the expansion of American political, economic, cultural, and media influence beyond the boundaries of the United States. Depending on the commentator, it may include imperialism through outright military conquest ...
, colonial education, writing,
racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism ...
, class, power, death, and adolescence. In her most recent novel, ''See Now Then'', Kincaid also first explores the theme of time.


Tone and style

Kincaid's unique style has created disagreement among critics and scholars, and as
Harold Bloom Harold Bloom (July 11, 1930 – October 14, 2019) was an American literary critic and the Sterling Professor of Humanities at Yale University. In 2017, Bloom was described as "probably the most famous literary critic in the English-speaking wor ...
explains: "Most of the published criticism of Jamaica Kincaid has stressed her political and social concerns, somewhat at the expense of her literary qualities." As works such as ''At the Bottom of the'' River and ''The Autobiography of My Mother'' use Antiguan cultural practices, some critics say these works employ
magical realism Magical is the adjective for magic. It may also refer to: * Magical (horse) (foaled 2015), Irish Thoroughbred racehorse * "Magical" (song), released in 1985 by John Parr * '' Magical: Disney's New Nighttime Spectacular of Magical Celebrations'', ...
. "The author claims, however, that er workis 'magic' and 'real,' but not necessarily orksof 'magical realism'." Other critics claim that her style is "modernist" because much of her fiction is "culturally specific and experimental". It has also been praised for its keen observation of character, curtness, wit, and lyrical quality. Her short story "
Girl A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. When a girl becomes an adult, she is accurately described as a ''woman''. However, the term ''girl'' is also used for other meanings, including ''young woman'',Dictionary ...
" is essentially a list of instructions on how a girl should live and act, but the messages are much larger than the literal list of suggestions.
Derek Walcott Sir Derek Alton Walcott (23 January 1930 – 17 March 2017) was a Saint Lucian poet and playwright. He received the 1992 Nobel Prize in Literature. His works include the Homeric epic poem ''Omeros'' (1990), which many critics view "as Walcot ...
, 1992 Nobel laureate, said of Kincaid's writing: "As she writes a sentence, psychologically, its temperature is that it heads toward its own contradiction. It's as if the sentence is discovering itself, discovering how it feels. And that is astonishing, because it's one thing to be able to write a good declarative sentence; it's another thing to catch the temperature of the narrator, the narrator's feeling. And that's universal, and not provincial in any way".
Susan Sontag Susan Sontag (; January 16, 1933 – December 28, 2004) was an American writer, philosopher, and political activist. She mostly wrote essays, but also published novels; she published her first major work, the essay "Notes on 'Camp'", in 1964. Her ...
has also commended Kincaid's writing for its "emotional truthfulness," poignancy, and complexity. Her writing has been described as "fearless" and her "force and originality lie in her refusal to curb her tongue". Giovanna Covi describes her unique writing: "The tremendous strength of Kincaid's stories lies in their capacity to resist all canons. They move at the beat of a drum and the rhythm of jazz…" She is described as writing with a "double vision" meaning that one line of plot mirrors another, providing the reader with rich symbolism that enhances the possibilities of interpretation.


Influences

Kincaid's writing is largely influenced by her life circumstances even though she discourages readers from taking her fiction literally. To do so, according to the writer Michael Arlen, is to be "disrespectful of a fiction writer's ability to create fictional characters". Kincaid worked for Arlen, who would become a colleague at ''The New Yorker'', as an au pair and is the figure whom the father in ''Lucy'' is based on. Despite her caution to readers, Kincaid has also said: "I would never say I wouldn't write about an experience I've had."


Reception and criticism

The reception of Kincaid's work has been mixed. Her writing stresses deep social and even political commentary, as Harold Bloom cites as a reason why the "literary qualities" of her work tend to be less of a focus for critics. Writing for
Salon.com ''Salon'' is an American politically progressive/ liberal news and opinion website created in 1995. It publishes articles on U.S. politics, culture, and current events. Content and coverage ''Salon'' covers a variety of topics, including re ...
, Peter Kurth called Kincaid's work ''My Brother'' the most overrated book of 1997. Reviewing her latest novel, ''See Now Then'' (2013), in ''The New York Times'',
Dwight Garner Dwight Garner (born January 8, 1965) is an American journalist and longtime writer and editor for ''The New York Times''. In 2008, he was named a book critic for the newspaper. He is the author of ''Garner's Quotations: A Modern Miscellany'' and ...
called it "bipolar", "half séance, half ambush", and "the kind of lumpy exorcism that many writers would have composed and then allowed to remain unpublished. It picks up no moral weight as it rolls along. It asks little of us, and gives little in return." Another ''New York Times'' review describes it as "not an easy book to stomach" but goes on to explain, "Kincaid's force and originality lie in her refusal to curb her tongue, in an insistence on home truths that spare herself least of all." Kate Tuttle addresses this in an article for ''The Boston Globe'': "Kincaid allowed that critics are correct to point out the book's complexity. "The one thing the book is," she said, "is difficult, and I meant it to be." Some critics have been harsh, such as one review for ''Mr Potter'' (2002) that reads: "It wouldn't be so hard if the repetition weren't coupled, here and everywhere it occurs, with a stern rebuff to any idea that it might be meaningful." On the other hand, there has been much praise for her writing, for instance: "The superb precision of Kincaid's style makes it a paradigm of how to avoid lots of novelistic pitfalls." In February 2022, Kincaid was one of 38 Harvard faculty to sign a letter to the
Harvard Crimson The Harvard Crimson are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Harvard College. The school's teams compete in NCAA Division I. As of 2013, there were 42 Division I intercollegiate varsity sports teams for women and men at Harvard, more than at ...
defending Professor
John Comaroff John L. Comaroff (born 1 January 1945) is Professor of African and African American Studies and of Anthropology, Oppenheimer Fellow in African Studies at Harvard University. He is recognised for his study of African and African-American soci ...
, who had been found to have violated the university's sexual and professional conduct policies. The letter defended Comaroff as "an excellent colleague, advisor and committed university citizen" and expressed dismay over his being sanctioned by the university. After students filed a lawsuit with detailed allegations of Comaroff's actions and the university's failure to respond, Kincaid was one of several signatories to say that she wished to retract her signature.


Bibliography


Novels

*''
Annie John ''Annie John'', a novel written by Jamaica Kincaid in 1985, details the growth of a girl in Antigua, an island in the Caribbean. It covers issues as diverse as mother-daughter relationships, lesbianism, racism, clinical depression, poverty, ...
'' (1985) *''
Lucy Lucy is an English feminine given name derived from the Latin masculine given name Lucius with the meaning ''as of light'' (''born at dawn or daylight'', maybe also ''shiny'', or ''of light complexion''). Alternative spellings are Luci, Luce, Lu ...
'' (1990) *''The Autobiography of My Mother'' (1996) *'' Mr Potter'' (2002) *'' See Now Then'' (2013)


Short fiction

;Collections *'' At the Bottom of the River'' (1983) ;Stories * "The Finishing Line" (1990), ''
New York Times Book Review ''The New York Times Book Review'' (''NYTBR'') is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times'' in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely rea ...
'' 18 * "Biography of a Dress" (1992), ''Grand Street'' 11: 92–100 * "Song of Roland" (1993), ''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' 69: 94–98 * "Xuela" (1994), ''The New Yorker'', 70: 82–92


Non-fiction

* "Antigua Crossings: A Deep and Blue Passage on the Caribbean Sea" (1978), ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'': 48–50. * "Figures in the Distance" (1983) *'' A Small Place'' (1988) * "On Seeing England for the First Time" (1991), ''
Transition Magazine ''Transition Magazine'' was established in 1961 by Rajat Neogy as ''Transition Magazine: An International Review''. It was published from 1961 to 1976 in various countries on the African continent, and since 1991 in the United States. In recent y ...
'' 51: 32–40 * "Out of Kenya" (1991), ''The New York Times'': A15, A19, with Ellen Pall * "Flowers of Evil: In the Garden" (1992), ''The New Yorker'' 68: 154–159 * "A Fire by Ice" (1993), ''The New Yorker'' 69: 64–67 * "Just Reading: In the Garden" (1993), ''The New Yorker'' 69: 51–55 * "Alien Soil: In the Garden" (1993), ''The New Yorker'' 69: 47–52 * "This Other Eden" (1993), ''The New Yorker'' 69: 69–73 * "The Season Past: In the Garden" (1994), ''The New Yorker'' 70: 57–61 * "In Roseau" (1995), ''The New Yorker'' 71: 92–99. * "In History" (1997), ''The Colors of Nature'' *''My Brother'' (1997) *''My Favorite Plant: Writers and Gardeners on the Plants they Love'' (1998), Editor *''Talk Stories'' (2001) * ''My Garden (Book)'' (2001) *''Among Flowers: A Walk in the Himalayas'' (2005) *


Children's books

*''Annie, Gwen, Lilly, Pam, and Tulip'' (1986)


See also

*
Caribbean literature Caribbean literature is the literature of the various territories of the Caribbean region. Literature in English from the former British West Indies may be referred to as Anglo-Caribbean or, in historical contexts, as West Indian literature. Most o ...


Interviews

*
Selwyn Cudjoe Selwyn Cudjoe (born 1 December 1943)
Encyclopedia.com.
is a
Callaloo Callaloo (many spelling variants, such as kallaloo, calaloo, calalloo, calaloux or callalloo; ) is a popular Caribbean vegetable dish. There are many variants across the Caribbean, depending on the availability of local vegetables. The main in ...
'', 12 (Spring 1989): 396–411; reprinted in ''Caribbean Women Writers: Essays from the First International Conference'', ed. Cudjoe (Wellesley, Mass.: Calaloux, 1990): 215–231. * Leslie Garis, "Through West Indian Eyes," ''New York Times Magazine'' (October 7, 1990): 42. * Donna Perry, "An Interview with Jamaica Kincaid," in ''Reading Black, Reading Feminist: A Critical Anthology'', edited by Henry Louis Gates Jr. (New York: Meridian, 1990): 492–510. * Kay Bonetti, "An Interview with Jamaica Kincaid," ''Missouri Review'', 15, No. 2 (1992): 124–142. * Allan Vorda, "I Come from a Place That's Very Unreal: An Interview with Jamaica Kincaid," in ''Face to Face: Interviews with Contemporary Novelists'', ed. Vorda (Houston: Rice University Press, 1993): 77–105. * Moira Ferguson, "A Lot of Memory: An Interview with Jamaica Kincaid," ''Kenyon Review'', 16 (Winter 1994): 163–188.


Awards and honors

* 1984: Morton Dauwen Zabel Award of the
American Academy of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headqu ...
for ''At the Bottom of the River'' * 1984: Shortlisted for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction for ''At the Bottom of the River''. * 1985: Guggenheim Award for Fiction * 1985: Finalist for the International Ritz Paris Hemingway Award for ''Annie John'' * 1997: Shortlisted for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction for ''The Autobiography of My Mother'' * 1997:
Anisfield-Wolf Book Award The Anisfield-Wolf Book Award is an American literary award dedicated to honoring written works that make important contributions to the understanding of racism and the appreciation of the rich diversity of human culture. Established in 1935 by Clev ...
for ''The Autobiography of My Mother'' * 1999:
Lannan Literary Award for Fiction The Lannan Literary Awards are a series of awards and literary fellowships given out in various fields by the Lannan Foundation. Established in 1989, the awards are meant "to honor both established and emerging writers whose work is of exceptional ...
* 2000:
Prix Femina étranger The Prix Femina étranger is a French literary award established in 1985. It is awarded annually to a foreign-language literary work translated into French. List of laureates See also * Prix Femina * Prix Femina essai The prix Femina essai ...
for ''My Brother'' * 2004: American Academy of Arts and Letters * 2009: American Academy of Arts and Sciences * 2010: Center for Fiction's Clifton Fadiman Medal for ''Annie John'' * 2011: Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from
Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university on the border of Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1852 as Tufts College by Christian universalists who sought to provide a nonsectarian institution of higher learning. ...
* 2014:
Before Columbus Foundation The Before Columbus Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1976 by Ishmael Reed, "dedicated to the promotion and dissemination of contemporary American multicultural literature". The Foundation makes annual awards for books published in ...
American Book Award for ''See Now Then'' * 2015: Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from
Brandeis University , mottoeng = "Truth even unto its innermost parts" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = NECHE , president = Ronald D. Liebowitz , pro ...
* Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Award * 2017: Winner of the
Dan David Prize The Dan David Prize is a major international award that recognizes and supports outstanding contributions to the study of history and other disciplines that shed light on the human past. It awards nine prizes of $300,000 each year to outstanding ...
in Literature * 2021:
Royal Society of Literature The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820, by George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV, to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". A charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, th ...
International Writer * 2022: ''The Paris Review'' Hadada prize for lifetime achievement


References


Sources

*''Jamaica Kincaid: A Bibliography of Dissertations and Theses'', .


Further reading

* J. Kincaid and B. Buckner
"Singular Beast: A Conversation with Jamaica Kincaid"
''Callaloo'', vol. 31, no. 2, 2008. * A. Vorda and J. Kincaid
"An Interview with Jamaica Kincaid"
''Mississippi Review'', vol. 24, no. 3, 1996. * F. Smith
"Review of 'Making Men: Gender, Literary Authority, and Women's Writing in Caribbean Narrative' by Belinda Edmondson"
''Research in African Literatures'', vol. 32, no. 4, 2001.


External links


Jamaica Kincaid
Voices from the Gaps, University of Minnesota
Literary Encyclopedia biography

"PEN 2013 Master/Class with Jamaica Kincaid and Ru Freeman"
''The Manle'', May 3, 2013
Postcolonial Studies, Emory University: Jamaica Kincaid

Jamaica Kincaid
BBC World Service

* The ttps://hollisarchives.lib.harvard.edu/repositories/24/resources/7077/collection_organization Jamaica Kincaid Papersare held at Houghton Library, Harvard College Library. {{DEFAULTSORT:Kincaid, Jamaica 1949 births Living people 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century American novelists 21st-century American women writers African-American Jews African-American novelists African-American women writers American Book Award winners American garden writers American women academics American women non-fiction writers American women novelists Antigua and Barbuda emigrants to the United States Antigua and Barbuda women writers Antigua and Barbuda writers Claremont McKenna College faculty Converts to Judaism Franconia College alumni Harper's Magazine people Harvard University staff Jewish American novelists Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters The New Yorker people Novelists from New York (state) Novelists from Vermont PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction winners People from Bennington, Vermont People from St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda Prix Femina Étranger winners Wesleyan University people Writers from New York City African-American women musicians 20th-century African-American women 20th-century African-American writers 21st-century African-American women 21st-century American Jews