Forward Prizes for Poetry
1 appearances
-
Edition 1 (1992) Winner
Jackie Kay
ジャッキー・ケイ
Jakkī Kei
Aliases:
Jacqueline Margaret Kay
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1961-11-09 （Edinburgh, Scotland）
- Nationality
- Scottish, British
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Bishopbriggs, suburb of Glasgow → Manchester
Career
- Occupations
- poet, playwright, novelist, Professor of Creative Writing
- Active Years
- 1991-2024
- Affiliations
- Newcastle University, Glasgow Caledonian University, University of Salford (former Chancellor)
- Memberships
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL), Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE)
- Influenced By
- Alasdair Gray
- Nominations
- International Dublin Literary Award shortlist (Trumpet, 2000), Saltire Society Scottish Book of the Year shortlist (The Lamplighter, 2009)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Stirling | — | English | — | — | United Kingdom |
University of Stirling
English
Country:
United Kingdom
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Somerset Maugham Award | Other Lovers | — | — | won |
| 1998 | Guardian Fiction Prize | Trumpet | — | — | won |
| 2011 | Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Book of the Year Award | Red Dust Road | Non-Fiction | — | won |
| 2006 | Member of the Order of the British Empire | — | — | British Monarchy | awarded |
| 2020 | Commander of the Order of the British Empire | — | — | British Monarchy | awarded |
Somerset Maugham Award
1994
Work:
Other Lovers
Result:
won
Guardian Fiction Prize
1998
Work:
Trumpet
Result:
won
Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Book of the Year Award
2011
Work:
Red Dust Road
Category:
Non-Fiction
Result:
won
Member of the Order of the British Empire
2006
Organization:
British Monarchy
Result:
awarded
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
2020
Organization:
British Monarchy
Result:
awarded
Awards & Nominations
Somerset Maugham Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 0 (1994) Winner
Works
Major Works
The Adoption Papers
1991 poetryMulti-voiced poetry collection dealing with adoption, identity, race, nationality, gender, and sexuality from perspectives of adopted child, adoptive mother, and birth mother.
adoptionraceidentity
Trumpet
1998 novelNovel inspired by the life of transgender jazz musician Billy Tipton.
genderidentitymusic
Red Dust Road
2010 memoirMemoir of her search for her biological parents.
adoptionrootsfamily
Adaptations
- [stage] Red Dust Road / Tanika Gupta (2019)
Bibliography
- The Adoption Papers
- Other Lovers
- Off Colour
- Trumpet
- Bessie Smith
- Red Dust Road
- Fiere
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- multi-voiced narrativevernacular poetryautobiographical elements
- Recurring Motifs
- identityraceadoptionfamilyLGBTQ+
Legacy
Served as Scotland's Makar (National Poet, 2016-2021), contributed to contemporary literature through themes of race, gender, adoption. Won numerous awards and serves as Professor of Creative Writing.
Academic Societies
- Royal Society of Literature
- Royal Society of Edinburgh
Archives
- National Library of Scotland
Trivia
- Mixed-race Scottish-Nigerian, adopted by white Scottish couple.
- Lesbian.
- Has a son, Matthew, with writer Fred D'Aguiar.
- Had a 15-year relationship with poet Carol Ann Duffy.
- Worked as a cleaner for John le Carré (David Cornwell).