Althea Prince facts for kids

Althea Prince (born 1945) is a Black Canadian author, editor and professor. Her novels and non-fiction essays are known for exploring themes of love, identity, the impact of migration, and finding a sense of belonging in Canada. She is the sister of Ralph Prince and five others

Born in Antigua, Dr. Althea Prince has resided in Canada since the 1960s. She has taught Sociology, first at York University and also at the University of Toronto. Currently, she teaches Caribbean Studies at The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Toronto Metropolitan University. In 2011, she won the Kay Livingston Award from Ryerson University for excellence in teaching and mentoring students.

Awards

In 2012 she was shortlisted as one of Canadian Immigrants Top 25 immigrants. From 2002 to 2005, Dr. Prince was Managing Editor of the publishing company Canadian Scholars' Press & Women's Press.

She has been described as "a stellar African Canadian intellectual and writer" by reviewers. Her literary awards include: The Children's Book Centre "Choice" Award for her children's book How the Star Fish Got to the Sea. In 2007, she was recognized by the Government of Antigua and was awarded the Antigua and Barbuda International Writers' Festival First Annual Award for Literary Excellence for services to the arts and literature.

In 2014, the Canadian arts body the Harbourfront Centre named Prince as a "Canadian Literary Pioneer".

Politics and community organizing

An author who is active in the community with organizations, Prince is currently listed in the Who's Who in Black Canada. As a community activist, she has received awards from the Ontario Arts Council to work with local women's organizations conducting life writing workshops with immigrant women and girls to bring their voices into mainstream literature. She has edited two anthologies of work Beyond the Journey (2013) and ReImaging the Sky (2012). Prince has commented on the importance of bringing newcomer voices into the Canadian lexicon through teaching life writing and publishing diverse newcomer authors: "It is important for them to find their voice within....Immigrants' confidence is shaken when moving to a new place. The voice within the writing helps them feel acknowledged."

Dr. Prince has commented on issues of cultural identity on the CBC, exploring issues of anti-discrimination, and the politics of Black women's hair. She has listed some of her favorite authors, including The New Yorker's Malcolm Malcolm Gladwell and children's author Itah Sadu.

Works

Edited anthologies

• Beyond The Journey (2013);
• In the Black (2012);
• The Politics of Black Women's Hair (2009);
• Althea Prince, et al.. Feminisms and Womanisms: A Women's Studies Reader (2001). Canadian Scholars' Press.

Fiction

• Ladies of the Night (2005);
• Loving This Man (2001);

Non-fiction

• Being Black (2001);

Children's literature

• How the Star Fish Got to the Sea
• How the East Pond Got Its Flowers (under name Althea Trotman).