Kwame Dawes
Encyclopedia
Kwame Senu Neville Dawes (born 28 July 1962 Ghana
) is a poet, actor, editor, critic, musician, and Louis Frye Scudder Professor of Liberal Arts at the University of South Carolina
. He currently works as editor-in-chief at the Prairie Schooner.
where he attended Jamaica College
and the University of the West Indies
at Mona. He studied and taught in New Brunswick
, Canada
on a Commonwealth Scholarship
. As a PhD student at the University of New Brunswick
, he was editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, The Brunswickan
.
Since 1992 he has been teaching at the University of South Carolina
. He is a Professor
in English and also Distinguished Poet in Residence, Director of the South Carolina Poetry Initiative and Director of the USC Arts Institute. He is also the faculty advisor for the publication Yemassee. He won the 1994 Forward Poetry Prize, Best First Collection for Progeny of Air.
Dawes collaborated with San Francisco-based writer and composer Kevin Simmonds on Wisteria: Twilight Songs from the Swamp Country which debuted at Royal Festival Hall in 2006, and featured sopranos Valetta Brinson and Valerie Johnson.
In 2009, Dawes won an Emmy Award
in the category of New Approaches to News & Documentary Programming: Arts, Lifestyle & Culture. His project documented HIV/AIDS in Jamaica, interspersed with poetry, photographs, and other media. The website "Livehopelove.com" is the culmination of his project.
He is director of the Calabash International Literary Festival, Jamaica
.
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
) is a poet, actor, editor, critic, musician, and Louis Frye Scudder Professor of Liberal Arts at the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
. He currently works as editor-in-chief at the Prairie Schooner.
Life
He grew up in JamaicaJamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
where he attended Jamaica College
Jamaica College
Jamaica College is a prominent, all-male secondary school located in Kingston, Jamaica. It provides traditional classroom education to its students in a variety of subject areas.The institution caters to students aged 11 to 19 years...
and the University of the West Indies
University of the West Indies
The University of the West Indies , is an autonomous regional institution supported by and serving 17 English-speaking countries and territories in the Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica,...
at Mona. He studied and taught in New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on a Commonwealth Scholarship
Commonwealth Scholarship
The Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan is an international programme under which Commonwealth governments offer scholarships and fellowships to citizens of other Commonwealth countries.-History:...
. As a PhD student at the University of New Brunswick
University of New Brunswick
The University of New Brunswick is a Canadian university located in the province of New Brunswick. UNB is the oldest English language university in Canada and among the first public universities in North America. The university has two main campuses: the original campus founded in 1785 in...
, he was editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, The Brunswickan
The Brunswickan
The Brunswickan is the official student newspaper of the Fredericton campus of the University of New Brunswick, New Brunswick, Canada. It has a circulation of 6,000 and issues are published each Wednesday of the school year, traditionally running from 25-27 issues annually.- About :A founding...
.
Since 1992 he has been teaching at the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
. He is a Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
in English and also Distinguished Poet in Residence, Director of the South Carolina Poetry Initiative and Director of the USC Arts Institute. He is also the faculty advisor for the publication Yemassee. He won the 1994 Forward Poetry Prize, Best First Collection for Progeny of Air.
Dawes collaborated with San Francisco-based writer and composer Kevin Simmonds on Wisteria: Twilight Songs from the Swamp Country which debuted at Royal Festival Hall in 2006, and featured sopranos Valetta Brinson and Valerie Johnson.
In 2009, Dawes won an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
in the category of New Approaches to News & Documentary Programming: Arts, Lifestyle & Culture. His project documented HIV/AIDS in Jamaica, interspersed with poetry, photographs, and other media. The website "Livehopelove.com" is the culmination of his project.
He is director of the Calabash International Literary Festival, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
.
Poetry
- Progeny of Air, Peepal Tree PressPeepal Tree PressPeepal Tree Press, based in England, publishes Caribbean, Black British and South Asian fiction, poetry and academic books.Peepal Tree is a wholly independent company, founded in 1985, and now publishes around 30-40 books a year. Peepal Tree Press has published over 250 titles, and states a...
, 1994, ISBN 9780948833687 - Prophets, Peepal Tree PressPeepal Tree PressPeepal Tree Press, based in England, publishes Caribbean, Black British and South Asian fiction, poetry and academic books.Peepal Tree is a wholly independent company, founded in 1985, and now publishes around 30-40 books a year. Peepal Tree Press has published over 250 titles, and states a...
, 1995, ISBN 9780948833854 - Jacko Jacobus, Peepal Tree PressPeepal Tree PressPeepal Tree Press, based in England, publishes Caribbean, Black British and South Asian fiction, poetry and academic books.Peepal Tree is a wholly independent company, founded in 1985, and now publishes around 30-40 books a year. Peepal Tree Press has published over 250 titles, and states a...
, 1996, ISBN 9781900715065 - Requiem, Peepal Tree PressPeepal Tree PressPeepal Tree Press, based in England, publishes Caribbean, Black British and South Asian fiction, poetry and academic books.Peepal Tree is a wholly independent company, founded in 1985, and now publishes around 30-40 books a year. Peepal Tree Press has published over 250 titles, and states a...
, 1996, ISBN 9781900715072 - Shook Foil, Peepal Tree PressPeepal Tree PressPeepal Tree Press, based in England, publishes Caribbean, Black British and South Asian fiction, poetry and academic books.Peepal Tree is a wholly independent company, founded in 1985, and now publishes around 30-40 books a year. Peepal Tree Press has published over 250 titles, and states a...
, 1997, ISBN 9781900715140 - Map-Maker Smith/Doorstop Books, 2000, ISBN 9781902382180
- His New and Selected Poems, 1994-2002, Peepal Tree PressPeepal Tree PressPeepal Tree Press, based in England, publishes Caribbean, Black British and South Asian fiction, poetry and academic books.Peepal Tree is a wholly independent company, founded in 1985, and now publishes around 30-40 books a year. Peepal Tree Press has published over 250 titles, and states a...
, 2003, ISBN 9781900715706 - Back of Mount Peace, Peepal Tree PressPeepal Tree PressPeepal Tree Press, based in England, publishes Caribbean, Black British and South Asian fiction, poetry and academic books.Peepal Tree is a wholly independent company, founded in 1985, and now publishes around 30-40 books a year. Peepal Tree Press has published over 250 titles, and states a...
Ltd., 2009, ISBN 9781845231248 - Wheels, Peepal Tree PressPeepal Tree PressPeepal Tree Press, based in England, publishes Caribbean, Black British and South Asian fiction, poetry and academic books.Peepal Tree is a wholly independent company, founded in 1985, and now publishes around 30-40 books a year. Peepal Tree Press has published over 250 titles, and states a...
Ltd., 2010, ISBN 9781845231422