Grace Nichols facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Grace Nichols
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Nichols at the British Library in 2022
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| Born | 1950 (age 74–75) |
| Occupation | Poet, teacher, journalist |
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Notable work
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I is a Long-Memoried Woman (1983); Sunris (1996) |
| Spouse(s) | John Agard |
| Awards | Commonwealth Poetry Prize, 1983; Guyana Poetry Prize, 1996; Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry, 2021 |
Grace Nichols is a famous poet from Guyana, a country in South America. She was born in 1950. In 1977, she moved to Britain. Before becoming a full-time poet, she worked as a teacher and journalist in Guyana. Her first poetry book, I is a Long-Memoried Woman, won a big award called the Commonwealth Poetry Prize in 1983. In 2021, she received the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry, which is a very special honor.
Contents
Grace Nichols: Her Life and Work
Growing Up in Guyana
Grace Nichols was born in Georgetown, Guyana. She spent her early childhood in a small village by the coast. When she was eight years old, her family moved to the city. She studied Communications at the University of Guyana.
After college, she worked as a teacher for a few years. She also worked as a journalist. This means she wrote for newspapers or magazines. She also worked in government information services. In 1977, she moved to the United Kingdom.
Caribbean Rhythms in Poetry
Grace Nichols's poetry often sounds like the music and stories from the Caribbean. Her poems are full of the culture and traditions of Guyana. She also uses ideas from Amerindian folklore. This is the traditional stories and beliefs of the native people of the Americas.
Living in the UK
Today, Grace Nichols lives in Lewes, a town in East Sussex, England. She lives with her partner, John Agard, who is also a poet from Guyana.
Grace Nichols's Books and Awards
Her First Big Poetry Collection
Grace Nichols's first collection of poems was I is a Long-Memoried Woman. It came out in 1983. This book won the 1983 Commonwealth Poetry Prize. This award is given to the best poetry book from a Commonwealth country.
Later, a movie was made based on her book. It won a gold medal at a film festival in New York City. The book was also turned into a radio play for the BBC.
Books for All Ages
In 1986, Grace Nichols published a novel for adults called Whole of a Morning Sky. She has written many other poetry books since then. One of her books, Startling the Flying Fish, came out in 2006. It included new poems and some of her best older ones.
Grace Nichols also writes books for children. These include collections of short stories and poetry books. Many students in the UK study her poems. Her work is part of the English and English Literature exams for GCSE students.
Helping Young Poets
In 2011, Grace Nichols was a judge for a new poetry competition. It was called "Anthologise." This competition was for school students aged 11 to 18 across the UK. Students had to create their own collections of published poems. The first winners were students from Monkton Combe School in Bath, Somerset. Their winning collection was called The Poetry of Earth is Never Dead.
Special Honors for Her Work
Grace Nichols has received many awards for her poetry.
- In 1983, she won the Commonwealth Poetry Prize for I is a Long-Memoried Woman.
- In 1986, she received an Arts Council Writers' Award.
- In 1996, she won the Guyana Poetry Prize for her book Sunris.
- In 2000, she received a Cholmondeley Award.
- In 2007, she became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. This is a special group for important writers.
- In 2008, she won the Guyana Poetry Award for Never live unloved.
- In December 2021, she was given the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry. This is one of the highest honors a poet can receive in the UK. It was given to her for all her amazing work over the years.
See also
In Spanish: Grace Nichols para niños
