Winsome Pinnock facts for kids

Winsome Pinnock is a famous British playwright, which means she writes plays for the theater. She was born in 1961 and has Jamaican family roots. Many people call her "the godmother of black British playwrights" because she has been so important in theater. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL).

Winsome Pinnock's Life and Career

Early Life and Education

Winsome Pinnock was born in Islington, a part of North London, in 1961. Her parents came from Smithville, Jamaica. Her mother worked as a cleaner, and her father was a checker at a large meat market.

Winsome went to Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Comprehensive Girls' School in Islington. Later, she studied at Goldsmiths, University of London. She earned a degree in English and Drama between 1979 and 1982. In 1983, she completed a master's degree in Modern Literature in English at Birkbeck, University of London.

Writing for the Stage and Screen

Winsome Pinnock has written many award-winning plays. Some of her early works include The Winds of Change (1987) and Leave Taking (1988). She also wrote Picture Palace (1988) and A Hero's Welcome (1989).

Her play A Rock in Water (1989) was inspired by the life of Claudia Jones. Other notable plays include Talking in Tongues (1991) and Mules (1996). In 2005, she wrote One Under.

Besides plays, Winsome has also written for radio and television. In 1998, she adapted a short story called "Let Them Call It Jazz" for BBC Radio 4. Her work was also included in the 2019 book New Daughters of Africa, which features writings by African women.

Teaching and Recognition

Winsome Pinnock has shared her knowledge by teaching at universities. She was a Visiting Lecturer at Royal Holloway College, University of London. She also worked as a Senior Visiting Fellow at the University of Cambridge. Currently, she teaches at Kingston University in London.

In 2020, Winsome Pinnock was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL). This is a special honor for writers in the United Kingdom. In 2022, she received the Windham-Campbell Literature Prize for drama, which is a very important award for writers.

Awards and Honors

Winsome Pinnock has received several important awards for her writing:

• 1991: George Devine Award
• Unity Theatre Trust Award
• Pearson Plays on Stage Award For Best Play of the Year
• 2018: Alfred Fagon Award
• 2020: Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
• 2022: Windham-Campbell Literature Prize (for drama)

Selected Plays and Works

Here are some of Winsome Pinnock's plays and other works:

• The Winds Of Change, performed at Half Moon Theatre, London, in 1987.
• Leave Taking, performed at Playhouse, Liverpool, and National Theatre, London, in 1988. It was also performed at Bush Theatre in May 2018.
• Picture Palace, performed by Women's Theatre Group, London, in 1988.
• A Rock In Water, performed at the Royal Court Young People's Theatre, London, in 1989.
• A Hero's Welcome, performed at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in 1989.
• Talking In Tongues, performed at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in 1991.
• Mules, performed by Clean Break at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in 1996.
• Can You Keep a Secret?, performed at Cottesloe Theatre, National Theatre, London, in 1999.
• Water, performed at Tricycle Theatre, London, in 2000.
• One Under, performed at Tricycle Theatre, London, in 2005.
• IDP, performed at Tricycle Theatre, London, in 2006.
• Taken, performed at Soho Theatre, London, in 2010.
• Her Father's Daughter, a radio play for BBC Radio 4.
• The Dinner Party, a radio play for BBC Radio 4.
• Lazarus, a radio play for BBC Radio 3, in 2013.
• The Principles of Cartography, performed at Bush Theatre, in 2017.
• Rockets and Blue Lights, performed in 2018.