The Lamplighter

One of Scotlands most celebrated living writers. * Spectator *
Kay’s strength as a poet has always been her clear, plain style, and its fearless spoken poignancy * Daily Telegraph *
Ambitious, defiant, angry and gripping … the bitter story of slavery through the experience of four women * Guardian *
Jackie Kay’s work, formally expansive and inclusive, often an exploration of the hurt done by small-mindedness and its attendant exclusivity, is always about the opening up of our notions of identity … Kay has always been a watcher, a tracer of the “true” story. – Ali Smith, author of How to Be Both
I am still reeling from The Lamplighter … It reads like the ballad of four enslaved women as they tell us their personal horrors. This book lays bare Britain’s role in the slave trade and it is an illuminating look at truths we would rather leave in the darkness. It is as beautiful as it is devastating. – Douglas Stuart, author of Shuggie Bain
The Lamplighter is a heart-breaking ­ballad about four enslaved women and also a necessary look at Britain’s ­silent history in the slave trade. Ms. Kay is incredibly warm and humane as a writer; every line is tender and suffused with love. * Wall Street Journal *

Jackie Kay was born in Edinburgh. She is the third modern Makar, the Scottish poet laureate. A poet, novelist and writer of short stories, she has enjoyed great acclaim for her work for both adults and children. Her novel Trumpet won the Guardian Fiction Prize. She is also the author of collections of stories with Picador, Why Don’t You Stop Talking, Wish I Was Here, and Reality, Reality; a poetry collection, Fiere; and a memoir, Red Dust Road. She is Professor of Creative Writing at Newcastle University, and lives in Manchester, where she is currently Chancellor of the University of Salford.

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