Kwame Dawes

Born in Ghana in 1962, Kwame Dawes spent most of his childhood and early adult life in Jamaica. As a poet, he is profoundly influenced by the rhythms and textures of that lush place, citing in a recent interview his "spiritual, intellectual, and emotional engagement with reggae music." His book Bob Marley: Lyrical Genius remains the most authoritative study of the lyrics of Bob Marley.

His 11th collection of verse, Wisteria: Poems From the Swamp Country, was published in January 2006. In February 2007, Akashic Books published his novel She's Gone and Peepal Tree Books published his 12th collection of poetry Impossible Flying and his non-fiction work A Far Cry From Plymouth Rock: A Personal Narrative.

His essays have appeared in numerous journals, including Bomb Magazine, The London Review of Books, Granta, Essence, World Literature Today and Double Take Magazine.

In September 2007, his 13th book of poems, Gomer's Song, appeared on the Black Goat imprint of Akashic Books. Dawes has seen produced some 20 of his plays over the past 25 years, including most recently a production of his musical One Love at the Lyric Hammersmith in London.

Kwame Dawes is Distinguished Poet in Residence, Louis Frye Scudder Professor of Liberal Arts and founder and executive director of the South Carolina Poetry Initiative. He is the director of the University of South Carolina Arts Institute and the programming director of the Calabash International Literary Festival, which takes place in Jamaica in May of each year. Kwame Dawes is a regular blogger for the Poetry Foundation, his blogs can be read at www.poetryfoundation.org.