Merle Collins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Merle Collins
|
|
|---|---|
| Born | 29 September 1950  |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Poet, performing artist, novelist, prose writer, artist, university teacher |
| Employer | |
| Awards |
|
Merle Collins is a talented writer from Grenada. She was born on September 29, 1950, in Aruba. She is known for her poems, novels, and short stories.
Contents
Life and Education
Merle Collins' parents were from Grenada. They moved back to Grenada soon after she was born. She went to primary school in St George's, Grenada.
She later studied at the University of the West Indies in Mona, Jamaica. In 1972, she earned degrees in English and Spanish. After that, she taught history and Spanish in Grenada for two years. She also taught in St Lucia.
In 1980, she earned a master's degree from Georgetown University in Washington, DC. Her studies focused on Latin America. She also earned a Ph.D. in Government from the London School of Economics.
Collins was involved in the Grenadian Revolution. She helped the government with research on Latin America and the Caribbean. In 1983, she moved from Grenada to England.
Teaching and Academic Work
From 1984 to 1995, Merle Collins taught at the University of North London. She is now a Professor at the University of Maryland. There, she teaches Comparative Literature and English. She was named a Distinguished Scholar Teacher for 2018–2019.
Creative Writing and Books
Merle Collins has written many creative works. Her first book of poems was Because the Dawn Breaks. It was published in London in 1985. At that time, she was part of a group called African Dawn. They combined poetry, acting, and African music in their performances.
Novels and Short Stories
In England, she started writing her first novel, Angel. This book was published in 1987. Angel tells the story of people in Grenada. It shows their struggles for independence. The main character is a young woman dealing with political changes.
Her collection of short stories, Rain Darling, came out in 1990. She published another book of poems, Rotten Pomerack, in 1992. These poems explore the experiences of Caribbean people living in England.
Her second novel, The Colour of Forgetting, was published in 1995. In 2003, she released a poetry collection called Lady in a Boat. This book shows the beauty of her island and its people. It also talks about how they deal with the past and build a future.
Her most recent collection of stories, The Ladies Are Upstairs, was published in 2011.
Recent Works and Awards
Merle Collins' novel, Ocean Stirrings, was published in 2023. This book is a tribute to Louise Langdon Norton Little. She was an activist and the mother of Malcolm X. Ocean Stirrings was nominated for the 2024 Orwell Prize for Political Fiction.
Judges praised the book for mixing history and imagination. They noted how Collins used many voices. She also honored the Grenadian creole language. Reviewers said the book was very understanding. It brought to life the story of a real person who was not well-known.
