Derek Walcott

Derek Walcott won the 1992 Nobel Prize for Literature and has been called the most important West Indian poet and dramatist writing in English today. His writings frequently deal with the cultural complexities of the Caribbean influenced by both European and African heritages. In 1990 he published his epic poem, Omeros, which recalls the dramas of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey in a Caribbean setting and deals with the sufferings of exile and the contemporary Caribbean life. Mr. Walcott has received much recognition for his work including the Obie Award for distinguished play of 1971 for his play Dream on Monkey Mountain, a MacArthur Foundation “genius” award, a Royal Society of Literature Award, and the Queen’s Medal for Poetry. He currently divides his time between St. Lucia, the island where he was born, and Boston University where he is a professor.

Mr. Walcott read selection from his published works.