Photo: Sofie Sigrinn / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Public records list Jamaica Kincaid as a writer, novelist and playwright. Jamaica Kincaid was born on May 25, 1949 in St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda. That works out to 77 years old in 2026. Education on record includes Franconia College. Awards on record include Guggenheim Fellowship (1985), Prix Femina étranger (2000), Dan David Prize (2017) and 4 more.
My Take
What draws me to Jamaica Kincaid is the sheer distance she traveled, from St. John's in Antigua and Barbuda to the faculty at Harvard, carried entirely by the force of her prose. She writes about colonialism and the mother-daughter wound with a clarity that refuses to flinch, and the Guggenheim, the Prix Femina and the Dan David Prize all bear that out. But the detail I love most is her later life as a gardener in Vermont, turning even her flowerbeds into essays. For Kincaid, writing and living seem inseparable. Annie John and Lucy are books I keep meaning to sit with properly.
This take was written by generative AI, one per person, from publicly reported facts (editorial policy). It is a reading of the record, not reporting.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Jamaica Kincaid
- Name (Japanese)
- ジャメイカ・キンケイド
- Reading
- じゃめいか・きんけいど
- Born
- May 25, 1949 (age 77)
- Origin
- St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda
- Occupation
- writer / novelist / playwright / university teacher / essayist
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Ox
2. Background
- University
- Franconia College
Awards & achievements
- 1985 Guggenheim Fellowship
- 2000 Prix Femina étranger
- 2017 Dan David Prize
- 2014 American Book Awards
- 1997 Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards
- honorary doctor of Brandeis University
- 2004 Prix Carbet de la Caraïbe et du Tout-Monde
3. Works & records
Filmography / notable works
| Category | Title |
|---|---|
| Notable work | Annie John |
| Notable work | My Brother |
| Notable work | Lucy |
4. Links
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
Only publicly available facts are listed; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. Base data was compiled from Wikidata from June 2026 onward; ages are recalculated daily and deaths are checked against Wikidata on an ongoing basis. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Jamaica Kincaid born?
Jamaica Kincaid was born on May 25, 1949 and is 77 years old.
Where is Jamaica Kincaid from?
Jamaica Kincaid is from St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda.
What does Jamaica Kincaid do?
Jamaica Kincaid works as writer, novelist, playwright, university teacher, essayist.
Where did Jamaica Kincaid study?
Jamaica Kincaid attended Franconia College.
What is Jamaica Kincaid known for?
Jamaica Kincaid's notable works include Annie John, My Brother, Lucy.
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