JACKIE KAY
Jackie Kay was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1961 to a Scottish mother and a Nigerian father. She was adopted by a white couple at birth and was brought up in Glasgow
The experience of being adopted by and growing up within a white family inspired her first collection of poetry, the multi-award winning The Adoption Papers (1991).
Her first novel, Trumpet, published in 1998, was awarded the Guardian Fiction Prize. Inspired by the life of musician Billy Tipton, the novel tells the story of Scottish jazz trumpeter Joss Moody, whose death revealed that he was, in fact, a woman..
She has also published several collections of short stories - Why Don't You Stop Talking (2002), Wish I Was Here (2006), and Reality, Reality (2012) - and a novel for children, Strawgirl (2002). Her collection of poetry for children Red, Cherry Red (2007) won the 2008 CLPE Poetry Award. Her Maw Broon Monologues, performed at the Tron Theatre in Glasgow, and combining rhythmic verse and music, were shortlisted for the 2010 Ted Hughes Award for New Work in Poetry.
Recent books include Red Dust Road (2010), a memoir about meeting her Nigerian birth father, Fiere (2011), a new collection of poetry, and Bantam (2017),
Jackie Kay lives in Manchester and is Professor of Creative Writing at Newcastle University. In 2006, she was awarded an MBE for services to literature. In 2014 she was appointed Chancellor of the University of Salford, where she has been the University 'Writer in Residence' since 2015. She was appointed Scottish Makar in 2016.
https://twitter.com/JackieKayPoet
Ganed Jackie Kay yng Nghaeredin yn 1961; mam o’r Alban a thad o Nigeria. Cafodd ei mabwysiadu’n faban gan gwpl gwyn a’i magu yn Glasgow. Bu’r profiad hwnnw o gael ei mabwysiadu a’i magu mewn teulu gwyn yn sbardun iddi sgwennu ei chasgliad cyntaf o farddoniaeth, ‘The Adoption Papers’ (1991).
Cyhoeddwyd ei nofel gyntaf, ‘Trumpet’ yn 1998 ac enillodd Wobr Ffuglen y Guardian ddiwedd y flwyddyn honno. Bywyd y cerddor Billy Tipton oedd ysbrydoliaeth y nofel. Trwy’r gyfrol cawn ddilyn stori trwmpedwr jazz o’r Alban, Joss Moody, hyd ei farwolaeth, pan ddatgelir mai menyw ydoedd mewn gwirionedd.
Mae Jackie wedi cyhoeddi sawl casgliad o straeon byrion hefyd - ‘Why Don't You Stop Talking’ (2002), ‘Wish I Was Here’ (2006), a ‘Reality, Reality’ (2012), yn ogystal â nofel i blant, ‘Strawgirl’ (2002). Enillodd ei chasgliad o farddoniaeth i blant, ‘Red, Cherry Red’ (2007) wobr y CLPE Poetry Award yn 2008. Yn 2009 derbyniodd gomisiwn gan Glasgay! i sgwennu ‘Maw Broon Monologues, cyfuniad o farddoniaeth rythmig a cherddoriaeth a berfformiwyd am y tro cyntaf yn Y Tron Theatre yn Glasgow ac a enwebwyd am Wobr Ted Hughes am waith barddonol newydd.
Mae cyfrolau diweddar ganddi’n cynnwys ‘Red Dust Road’ (2010), cyfrol hunangofianol am gwrdd â’i thad genedigol o Nigeria; ‘Fiere’ (2011), casgliad newydd o farddoniaeth; a ‘Bantam’ (2017).
Mae Jackie Kay yn byw ym Manceinion a hi yw Athro Ysgrifennu Creadigol Prifysgol Newcastle. Yn 2006, derbyniodd MBE am ei chyfraniad i lenyddiaeth. Yn 2014 cafodd ei hapwyntio’n Ganghellor Prifysgol Salford lle mae wedi bod yn Awdur Preswyl ers 2015. Cafodd ei phenodi’n Makar yr Alban yn 2016.
https://twitter.com/JackieKayPoet
