Pamela Mordecai facts for kids

Pamela Claire Mordecai was born in Jamaica in 1942. She is a well-known writer who now lives in Canada. She writes many types of books, including poetry, novels, and short stories. Pamela is also a scholar, which means she studies and writes about academic subjects. She is an anthologist, meaning she collects and edits writings by different authors into books.

About Pamela Mordecai

Pamela Mordecai was born in Kingston, Jamaica. She went to high school in Jamaica. Later, she studied English at Newton College of the Sacred Heart in the United States. She also earned a PhD in English from the University of the West Indies.

Pamela is a trained teacher, especially in language arts. She has taught students at different levels, from high school to university. She also helped train other teachers. Besides teaching, she has worked in television and publishing. She even edited an academic journal.

Her Writing Journey

Pamela Mordecai has written many articles about Caribbean literature, education, and publishing. She has worked on or written over 30 books! These include textbooks and many children's books. She has also published six books of poetry for adults. Her works include a collection of short stories and a novel. With her husband, Martin Mordecai, she wrote a reference book about Jamaica.

She has edited several collections of writings, called anthologies. One famous series she edited is the Sunsong series. Her poems and stories for children are very popular. They have been used in textbooks in many countries. These include the UK, Canada, the US, West Africa, the Caribbean, and Malaysia.

Her short stories have appeared in journals and anthologies. These publications are found in the Caribbean, the US, and Canada. In 1992, her poetry was featured in an anthology called Daughters of Africa. Pamela also wrote a play for young people, El Numero Uno. It was first performed in Toronto, Canada, in 2010.

Life in Canada

Pamela Mordecai has lived in Canada since 1994. However, her writing often focuses on the Caribbean experience. This includes life in the Caribbean region and for people from the Caribbean living in other countries.

In 2013, she received a special award. It was a Bronze Musgrave Medal from the Institute of Jamaica. This award honors people who have made great contributions to Jamaica. In 2014, she was a fellow at Yaddo. This is a community for artists in Saratoga Springs, New York. Some of her works are written in Jamaican creole. This is a language spoken in Jamaica.

Books by Pamela Mordecai

Pamela Mordecai has written and edited many books. Here are some of her notable works:

• Jamaica Woman (1980), an anthology she edited with Mervyn Morris. ISBN: 0-435-98600-7.
• New Caribbean Junior Reader 3 (1985), a textbook for children, with Grace Walker Gordon. ISBN: 0-602-22675-9.
• New Caribbean Junior Reader 4 (1986), another textbook with Grace Walker Gordon. ISBN: 0-602-22676-7.
• Journey Poem (1987), a book of poetry. ISBN: 976-8001-17-8.
• New Caribbean Infant Reader 1 (1987), a reader for young children, with Grace Walker Gordon. ISBN: 978-0-602-26961-6.
• Story Poems: a first collection (1987), a book of poetry for children. ISBN: 0-602-22876-X.
• Don't Ever Wake a Snake (1991), a collection of poems and stories for children. ISBN: 976-8070-07-2.
• Sunsong Tide Rising (1994), an anthology she edited with Grace Walker Gordon. ISBN: 0-582-08690-6.
• Ezra's Goldfish and other storypoems (1995), more poetry for children. ISBN: 978-976-8139-59-7.
• Rohan Goes to Big School (2000), a story for children. ISBN: 978-0-19-915863-8.
• The Costume Parade (2000), another story for children. ISBN: 978-0-19-915865-2.
• Culture and Customs of Jamaica (2001), a book about Jamaica with Martin Mordecai. ISBN: 0-313-30534-X.
• Pink Icing and other stories (2006), a collection of short stories. ISBN: 978-1-897178-32-4.
• El Numero Uno (2010), a play for young people.
• Red Jacket: a novel (2015), her novel. ISBN: 978-1459729407.