M. NourbeSe Philip facts for kids
Marlene Nourbese Philip (born 3 February 1947), known as M. NourbeSe Philip, is a Canadian writer. She is a talented poet, novelist, playwright, and essayist. She also writes short stories.
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About M. NourbeSe Philip's Life
M. NourbeSe Philip was born in Trinidad and Tobago, a country in the Caribbean. She went to the University of the West Indies for her education. Later, she studied political science and law at the University of Western Ontario in Canada.
After finishing her studies, she worked as a lawyer in Toronto, Ontario, for seven years. But in 1983, she decided to stop practicing law. She wanted to spend all her time writing.
Her Unique Writing Style
M. NourbeSe Philip is known for trying new things with how she writes. She also cares deeply about social justice, which means fairness for everyone in society. Her writing often explores important social issues.
She has written many books:
- Five books of poetry
- Two novels
- Four books of essays
- Two plays
Her short stories and articles have been published in magazines in North America and England. Her poems are also found in many collections of poetry. Her work is studied in universities and is the subject of much academic discussion.
Harriet's Daughter Novel
Her first novel, Harriet's Daughter, came out in 1988. This book is very popular and is used in high schools in Ontario and Great Britain. For ten years, all students in the Caribbean who were getting their high school diploma (CXC) studied this book. It has also been made into an audio version and a play. There is even a German version of the book.
She Tries Her Tongue, Her Silence Softly Breaks Poetry
One of her most famous poetry books is She Tries Her Tongue, Her Silence Softly Breaks. Even before it was fully published, it won the Casa de las Américas Prize for Literature. This shows how powerful her writing is.
Zong! and Its Meaning
Her 2008 book, Zong!, is a very special and important work. It is based on a real historical event called the Zong Massacre. This was a terrible event where about 150 Africans died on a slave ship. The book also looks at a legal case, Gregson v Gilbert, which decided that this massacre was legal at the time.
In 2006, a special reading of Zong! was performed in Toronto. Poems from this collection have appeared in different journals. On April 16, 2012, M. NourbeSe Philip held a unique seven-hour reading of Zong! in Toronto. Both she and the audience read the work together. Another similar reading happened in Blomfontein, South Africa, to show support. In 2024, for its fifteenth anniversary, Zong! was republished with new introductions.
Her writing has been included in many important collections of stories and poems. These include International Feminist Fiction (1992), Daughters of Africa (1992), and Oxford Book of Stories by Canadian Women in English (2000).
Awards and Recognition
M. NourbeSe Philip has received many awards for her amazing writing. Here are some of them:
- Casa de las Americas prize for her poetry book She Tries Her Tongue... (1998)
- Tradewinds Collective (Trinidad & Tobago) Poetry – 1st prize (1988)
- Tradewinds Collective (Trinidad & Tobago) Short Story – 1st prize (1988)
- Canadian Library Association prize for children's literature, runner-up, for Harriet's Daughter (1989)
- Max and Greta Abel Award for Multicultural Literature, first runner-up for Harriet's Daughter (1989)
- Guggenheim Fellow in poetry (1990)
- MacDowell Fellow (1991)
- Lawrence Foundation Award for the short story "Stop Frame" (1995)
- Toronto Arts Award in writing and publishing, finalist (1995)
- Rebels for a Cause award, the Elizabeth Fry Society of Toronto (2001)
- Woman of Distinction award in the Arts, YWCA (2001)
- Chalmers Fellowship in Poetry (2002)
- Rockefeller Foundation residency in Bellagio, Italy (2005)
- PEN/Nabokov Award for International Literature (2020)
- Molson Prize (2021)
- Windham-Campbell Literature Prize (2024)
