Jamaica Kincaid

Jamaica Kincaid was born Elaine Potter Richardson in Antigua in 1949. As a teenager, she went to New York to work as an au pair and began writing there under the name Jamaica Kincaid. Her first story, “Girl,” consisting of a single sentence, was published in The New Yorker in 1978 and brought her wide recognition. Her works include the novels Lucy and The Autobiography of My Mother. Kincaid’s award-winning prose is known for its distinctive language and strongly autobiographical approach. She taught, among other subjects, African and African American Studies at Harvard University.