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Award-winning author and scholar receives the 2021 Langston Hughes Medal from T��ɫ��Ƶ in a virtual ceremony on Nov. 18.

The medal is awarded to highly distinguished writers from throughout the African American diaspora at CCNY's annual Langston Hughes Festival, which is celebrating its 43rd anniversary this year. It recognizes honorees for their impressive works of poetry, fiction, drama, autobiography and critical essays that help to celebrate the memory and tradition of Langston Hughes. Past award winners include:

James Baldwin;
Gwendolyn Brooks;
Toni Morrison;
August Wilson;
Maya Angelou;
Octavia Butler;
Zadie Smith;
Michael Eric Dyson; and
Rita Dove.

Born in St. John's, Antigua, Kincaid was a staff writer for The New Yorker magazine (1974 – 1996) when she published her first book, a collection of short stories titled “,” in 1983. Her first novel, “,” followed in 1985. It was the story of a wilful 10-year-old growing up on the Caribbean Island of Antigua.

Further novels followed. “” (1990), is the story of a teenage girl from the Caribbean who comes to North America to work as an au pair for a wealthy family; “” (1996), is a story set in Dominica and told by a 70-year-old woman looking back on her life; and “” (2007),  follows the life of an illiterate taxi chauffeur.

Kincaid released “” in 1988, a short, powerful book about the effects of colonialism, and “” in 1997, a chronicle of her brother’s battle with AIDS. Her love of gardening has also led to several books on the subject, including “” (2000) and “” (2005), a memoir about a seed-gathering trek with three botanist friends. “Among Flowers” was re-released in late 2020 with a new introduction by the author.

Her novel “” (2013) won the Before Columbus Foundation America Book Award in 2014. Her numerous other awards include the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, the Dan David Prize for Literature, the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund Award, a Guggenheim Foundation award, and the Prix Femina Etranger Award.

Kincaid teaches in the English, African and African American Studies departments at Harvard University.

About t��ɫ��Ƶ
Since 1847, T��ɫ��Ƶ has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. CCNY embraces its position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at CCNY can move up two or more income quintiles. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places CCNY in the top 1.8% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. puts at $1.9 billion CCNY’s annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the “for dollar” return on investment to students, taxpayers and society. At City College, more than 16,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship. CCNY is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.