Olive Marjorie Senior (born 23 December 1941) is a Jamaican
poet
A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...
,
novelist
A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire to ...
,
short story
A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...
and
non-fiction
Nonfiction, or non-fiction, is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to provide information (and sometimes opinions) grounded only in facts and real life, rather than in imagination. Nonfiction is often associated with be ...
writer based in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
Cockpit Country
Cockpit Country is an area in Trelawny and Saint Elizabeth, Saint James, Saint Ann, Manchester and the northern tip of Clarendon parishes in Jamaica. The land is marked by steep-sided hollows, as much as deep in places, which are separated b ...
Montego Bay High School for Girls
Montego Bay High School (also known as Montego Bay High School for Girls) is an all-girls high school in Montego Bay, Saint James Parish, Jamaica, St. James, Jamaica. The school was established in 1935.
History
1935-1955
Montego Bay High Schoo ...
. At nineteen, she joined the staff of the '' Jamaica Gleaner'' in Kingston and later worked with the Jamaica Information Service. Senior later won a scholarship to study journalism at the Thomson Foundation in
Cardiff, Wales
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
and as a Commonwealth scholar attended
Carleton University
Carleton University is an English-language public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1942 as Carleton College, the institution originally operated as a private, non-denominational evening college to serve returning Wo ...
School of Journalism in
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
, Ontario, Canada.
While at university she began writing fiction and poetry. On her return to Jamaica, she worked as a freelancer in public relations, publishing, and speech writing before joining the Institute of Social and Economic Research at the
University of the West Indies
The University of the West Indies (UWI), originally University College of the West Indies, is a public university system established to serve the higher education needs of the residents of 17 English-speaking countries and territories in th ...
, where she edited the journal ''Social and Economic Studies'' (1972–77). In 1982 she joined the
Institute of Jamaica
The Institute of Jamaica (IOJ), founded in 1879, is the country's most significant cultural, artistic and scientific organisation:Jamaica Journal
The ''Jamaica Journal'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by the Institute of Jamaica. It publishes scholarly articles on the history, natural history, art, literature, music, and culture of Jamaica.
Its predecessor was the ''Journa ...
''.Olive Senior Extended Bio November 2013.
In 1987 Senior won the
Commonwealth Writers' Prize
Commonwealth Foundation presented a number of prizes between 1987 and 2011. The main award was called the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and was composed of two prizes: the Best Book Prize (overall and regional) was awarded from 1987 to 2011; the Best ...
for her first collection of stories. After
Hurricane Gilbert
Hurricane Gilbert was the second most intense tropical cyclone on record in the Atlantic basin in terms of barometric pressure, only behind Hurricane Wilma in 2005. An extremely powerful tropical cyclone that formed during the 1988 Atlantic hurr ...
hit Jamaica in 1988, Senior moved to Europe, where she lived in
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
, the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, and 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 ...
, before settling in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, Canada in the early 1990s.
In 2019 she was awarded the
Matt Cohen Award The Matt Cohen Award is an award given annually by the Writers' Trust of Canada to a Canadian writer, in honour of a distinguished lifetime contribution to Canadian literature. First presented in 2000, it was established in memory of Matt Cohen, a ...
by the
Writers' Trust of Canada
The Writers' Trust of Canada (french: La Société d'encouragement aux écrivains du Canada) is a registered charity which provides financial support to Canadian writers.
Founded by Margaret Atwood, Pierre Berton, Graeme Gibson, Margaret Laure ...
in honour of her career as a writer.
Literary works
Senior has published four collections of poems: ''Talking of Trees'' (1985), ''Gardening in the Tropics'' (1994), ''Over the Roofs of the World'' (2005) and ''Shell'' (2007). Her short story collection ''Summer Lightning'' (1986) won the
Commonwealth Writers' Prize
Commonwealth Foundation presented a number of prizes between 1987 and 2011. The main award was called the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and was composed of two prizes: the Best Book Prize (overall and regional) was awarded from 1987 to 2011; the Best ...
;"Commonwealth Book Prize" ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. it was followed by ''Arrival of the Snake Woman'' (also includes "The Two Grandmothers" which is one of her best short stories) (1989, 2009) and ''Discerner of Hearts'' (1995). Her most recent collection of stories, ''The Pain Tree'' (2015), was the overall winner of the 2016
OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature
OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature, inaugurated in 2011 by the NGC Bocas Lit Fest, is an annual literary award for books by Caribbean writers published in the previous year.Commonwealth Book Prize
Commonwealth Foundation presented a number of prizes between 1987 and 2011. The main award was called the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and was composed of two prizes: the Best Book Prize (overall and regional) was awarded from 1987 to 2011; the Best ...
in the Canada region.
Her non-fiction works include ''The Message Is Change'' (1972), about
Michael Manley
Michael Norman Manley (10 December 1924 – 6 March 1997) was a Jamaican politician who served as the fourth Prime Minister of Jamaica from 1972 to 1980 and from 1989 to 1992. Manley championed a democratic socialist program, and has been d ...
's first election victory; ''A-Z of Jamaican Heritage'' (1984, expanded and republished as ''Encyclopedia of Jamaican Heritage'' in 2004); and ''Working Miracles: Women's Lives in the English-Speaking Caribbean'' (1991).
Senior's most recent non-fiction book, ''Dying To Better Themselves: West Indians and the Building of the Panama Canal'', was published in September 2014 – 100 years after the opening of the
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a conduit ...
, 15 August 1914. On 1 April 2015 the book was shortlisted for the 2015 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature, winning the non-fiction category.
An extended critical evaluation of Senior's work can be found in ''Olive Senior'' by Denise deCaires Narain (2011), published by Northcote House Publishers (UK) in collaboration with the
British Council
The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lan ...
as part of the Writers and Their Work series.
Senior's work often addresses questions of
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
identity in terms of gender and ethnicity. She has said: "I've had to deal with race because of who I am and how I look. In that process, I've had to determine who I am. I do not think you can be all things to all people. As part of that process, I decided I was a Jamaican. I represent many different races and I'm not rejecting any of them to please anybody. I'm just who I am and you have to accept me or not."
Her work has been adapted as drama and broadcast by the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
and CBC, and she also wrote the radio play ''Window'' for the CBC.Author bio Olive Senior website. Her writing features in a wide range of anthologies including ''Her True-True Name'' (eds Elizabeth Wilson and Pamela Mordecai, 1989), ''
Daughters of Africa
''Daughters of Africa: An International Anthology of Words and Writings by Women of African Descent from the Ancient Egyptian to the Present'' is a compilation of orature and literature by more than 200 women from Africa and the African diaspora, ...
Stewart Brown
Stewart Brown (born 1951 in Southampton, UK) is an English poet, university lecturer and scholar of African and Caribbean Literature.
, 1992), ''Concert of Voices: An Anthology of World Writing in English'' (ed. Victor J. Ramraj, 1994), ''The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror Tenth Annual Collection'' (eds Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, 1997), ''The Wadsworth Anthology of Poetry'' (ed.
Jay Parini
Jay Parini (born April 2, 1948) is an American writer and academic. He is known for novels, poetry, biography, screenplays and criticism. He has published novels about Leo Tolstoy, Walter Benjamin, Paul the Apostle, and Herman Melville.
Early ...
, 2005), ''Best Poems on the Underground'' (eds
Gerard Benson
Gerard John Benson (9 April 1931 – 28 April 2014) was an English Quaker poet, teacher, and author. His mother separated from his father Arthur Benson, and he was raised by a family of Christian fundamentalists for the first ten years of his life ...
, Judith Chernaik and Cicely Herbert, 2010), ''So Much Things to Say: 100 Calabash Poets'' (2010), and numerous others.
Her work is taught in schools and universities internationally, with ''Summer Lightning'' and ''Gardening in the Tropics'' in particular being used as educational textbooks.
Translations
Recent translations include: ''ZigZag'', translated into French by Christine Raguet,
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
: Zoe, 2010; ''Eclairs de chaleur'', translated into French by Christine Raguet, Geneva: Zoe, 2011, ''Depuis la Terrasse et autres nouvelles'' (translated into French by Marie-Annick Montout), special edition,
Mauritius
Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It incl ...
: L'Atelier d'écriture, 2011; ''Zomerweerlicht'' (trans. Marie Luyten), Netherlands: Ambo/Novib, 1991; ''Das Erscheinen der Schlangenfrau'' (trans: Wolfgang Binder) Germany: Dipa/Verlag, 1996, and Unionsverlag, 2003; a Book Club Selection, The Berne Declaration, Switzerland, 1996.
A bilingual (English and French) book of Senior's poetry, ''Un Pipirit M'a Dit/A Little Bird Told Me'' was released in 2014.
''Gardening in the tropics'', translated into Arabic by Mamoun Zaidei, published b NCCAL KWAIT.2017
Selected awards and honours
*1987: Commonwealth Writers' Prize, for ''Summer Lightning and Other Stories''
*1988: Silver
Musgrave Medal
The Musgrave Medal is an annual award by the Institute of Jamaica in recognition of achievement in art, science, and literature.Webster, Valerie J. (2000), ''Awards, Honors & Prizes, Volume 2'', Gale Group, , p. 447. Originally conceived in 1889 a ...
*1994: Hawthornden Fellow, Scotland
*1994–95: Dana Distinguished Professor of Creative Writing and International Education, St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY
*1995: F.G. Bressani Literary Prize for ''Gardening in the Tropics''
*2003: Norman Washington Manley Foundation Award for Excellence (preservation of cultural heritage – Jamaica)
*2004: Gold Musgrave Medal of the Institute of Jamaica
*2005: Humanities Scholar, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados
*2005: ''Over the Roofs of the World'' shortlisted for the Governor-General's Literary Award for Poetry
*2005: Runner-up for the
Casa de las Américas Prize
The Casa de las Américas Prize (''Premio Literario Casa de las Américas'') is a literary award given by the Cuban Casa de las Américas. Established in 1959, it is one of Latin America’s oldest and most prestigious literary prizes.
The award ...
*2006: ''Shell'' shortlisted for the Pat Lowther Award
*2006: Ontario Arts Council and Canada Council works-in-progress grants
*2011: ''Dancing Lessons'' shortlisted for the Amazon.ca First Novel Award, the Commonwealth Book Prize
*2011: Isabel Sissons Canadian Children's Story Award
*2015:
Poetry
*''Talking of Trees'', Calabash, 1986
*''Gardening in the Tropics'',
McClelland & Stewart
McClelland & Stewart Limited is a Canadian publishing company. It is owned by Random House of Canada, Penguin Random House of Canada, a branch of Penguin Random House, the international book publishing division of German media giant Bertelsmann.
...
, 1994
*''Over the Roofs of the World'', Insomniac Press, 2005
*''Shell'', Insomniac Press, 2007
*''Hurricane Watch'', Carcanet Press, 2022
Short stories
*''Summer Lightning and Other Stories'', Longman, 1986.
*''Arrival of the Snake-Woman'', Longman, 1989. (Includes The Two Grandmothers).
*''Discerner of Hearts'', McClelland & Stewart, 1995.
*''The Pain Tree'', Cormorant, 2015.
Novels
*''Dancing Lessons'', Cormorant Books, 2011.
Children's literature
*''Birthday Suit'', Annick Press, 2012
*''Anna Carries Water'', Tradewind, 2013
*''Boonoonoonous Hair'', Tradewind, 2019
Non-fiction
*''The Message Is Change: A Perspective on the 1972 General Elections'', Kingston Publishers, 1972.
*''Pop Story Gi Mi'' (four booklets on Jamaican heritage for schools), Ministry of Education (Kingston, Jamaica), 1973.
*''A-Z of Jamaican Heritage'', Heinemann and Gleaner Company Ltd, 1984.
*''Working Miracles: Women's Lives in the English-Speaking Caribbean'',
Indiana University Press
Indiana University Press, also known as IU Press, is an academic publisher founded in 1950 at Indiana University that specializes in the humanities and social sciences. Its headquarters are located in Bloomington, Indiana. IU Press publishes 140 ...
, 1991.
*''Encyclopedia of Jamaican Heritage'', Twin Guinep, 2004.
*''Dying To Better Themselves: West Indians and the Building of the Panama Canal'', University of the West Indies Press, 2014.
Digital Library of the Caribbean
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