John Agard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Agard
FRSL
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|---|---|
| Born | 21 June 1949 Grantham, British Guiana |
| Language | Patois |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | St Alban's Academy |
| Period | 20th century |
| Notable awards | Paul Hamlyn Award for Poetry (1997); Cholmondeley Award (2004); Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry (2012) |
| Spouse | Grace Nichols |
John Agard, born on June 21, 1949, is a famous writer from Guyana who now lives in Britain. He writes plays, poems, and books for children. He has won many important awards, including the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry in 2012. In November 2021, he received a special Lifetime Achievement Award from BookTrust.
About John Agard
John Agard was born in a country called British Guiana, which is now known as Guyana. He grew up in the city of Georgetown. As a child, he loved listening to cricket games on the radio. He even started making up his own commentary, which helped him discover his love for language.
Early Life and Work
After school, John Agard studied English, French, and Latin. He wrote his first published poems while he was still in high school. He finished school in 1967. Later, he taught the languages he had learned and worked in a local library. He also worked as a writer for a newspaper called the Guyana Sunday Chronicle. While living in Guyana, he published two books.
In 1977, John Agard moved to Britain with his partner, Grace Nichols, who is also a poet. They settled in a town called Ironbridge in Shropshire. In Britain, he worked for the Commonwealth Institute and the BBC in London.
His Famous Poems
John Agard has written many poems that are studied by students. Two of his well-known poems, "Half Caste" and "Checking Out Me History," are part of English exam books for students aged 13–16. This means many young people learn about his work in school.
Today, John Agard lives in Lewes, East Sussex, with his partner, Grace Nichols.
Awards and Recognition
John Agard has received many awards for his writing. These awards celebrate his amazing contributions to poetry and literature.
- 1982: Casa de las Américas Prize (Cuba) for his book Man to Pan
- 1987: Nestlé Smarties Book Prize (shortlist) for Lend Me Your Wings
- 1995: Nestlé Smarties Book Prize (Bronze Award) for We Animals Would Like a Word With You
- 1997: Paul Hamlyn Award for Poetry
- 2004: Cholmondeley Award
- 2007: Shortlisted for the British Book Awards Decibel Writer of the Year for We Brits
- 2007: Became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
- 2009: Won the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education poetry award for The Young Inferno
- 2012: Received the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry
- 2021: Awarded the BookTrust Lifetime Achievement Award
