When writer Jamaica Kincaid was informed last year that she’d receive the 2024 St. Louis Literary Award, she thought it was a prank.
“I am deeply honored and surprised,” Kincaid said on St. Louis on the Air. “With the list of distinguished people, I can hardly believe I’m among them.”
Kincaid is no stranger to accolades. She is a National Book Awards finalist and received a prestigious Guggenheim Memorial Foundation fellowship. In 2004, she was elected to the Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2009.
Previous recipients of the St. Louis Literary Award include Arundhati Roy, Zadie Smith, Neil Gaiman and Margaret Atwood. The award is presented annually by the St. Louis University Libraries and it recognizes a writer who “deepens our insight into the human condition and expands the scope of our compassion.”
Kincaid’s works include the novel “Annie John” and “A Small Place,” a book-length essay of creative nonfiction. Both books draw on Kincaid’s experience of growing up on the small Caribbean island of Antigua. Her newest book, which comes out next month, is “An Encyclopedia of Gardening for Colored Children.”
To hear Jamaica Kincaid discuss her upbringing and career as a prominent writer, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcast, Spotify or by clicking the play button below.
Related Event
What: Jamaica Kincaid receives the 2024 St. Louis Literary Award
When: 7 p.m., April 25
Where: Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Ave., St. Louis, MO 63108
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Ulaa Kuziez, Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Roshae Hemmings is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
