LORNA

GOODISON
Lorna Goodison is a Jamaican poet, a
leading West Indian writer. She was born
on August 1st, 1947, Kingston Jamaica. She
grew up in a home with eight siblings and her
mother and father. As a child, she was exposed
to books. Her mother loved books and her sister
loved books so they were always books in her
house.

She was educated at St. Hugh’s

High School, a leading Anglican high
school in Jamaica and studied at the
Jamaican School of Art before going
on to the Art Students League
Of New York.

Some awards she has won are

1986: Commonwealth Poetry Prize for the Americas for her
second book of poetry, I am Becoming My Mother
1999: Musgrave Gold Medal by the Institute of Jamaica for
contributions to literature
2013: Jamaican Order of Distinction in the rank of Commander
2014: OCM Bocas Prize for Poetry, Oracabessa
2017: Poet laureate of Jamaica
2018: Windham–Campbell Literature Prize
2019: Honorary doctorate from University of Toronto
2019: Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry
2020: American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Some poems she has written are
 Tamarind Season
 I Am Becoming My Mother
 Heartease
 Poems
 Selected Poems
 To Us, All Flowers
 Turn Thanks
 Guinea Woman
 Travelling Mercies
 Controlling the Silver
 Goldengrove and more!
