Jamaican poet LKJ wins Britain’s top literary ‘Pen Prize’
Jamaican poet Linton Kwesi Johnson.
Caribbean Life, July 31-August 6, 2020 11
The literary community is
all agog since Jamaican poet
Linton Kwesi Johnson was
named the 2020 winner of
Britain’s Pen Pinter Prize.
Not since India’s Salman
Rushdie won the coveted
Booker Prize in 1981 has there
been more attention afforded
the annual announcement.
It is no small feat to champion
the Prize but a bigger deal is
that an immigrant from rural
Chapelton, Clarendon Jamaica
out-shined an impressive
field of qualified wordsmiths
throughout Europe to resonate
with cause celebre on intellectuals
and ordinary citizens.
Johnson also known as LKJ,
copped the honor after consistently
using his native verbiage
and patois to document racism
in Britain.
A relentless activist, human
rights advocate and voice of
the voiceless, the poet initially
sought change in England by
joining a chapter of the Black
Panther Party there.
Throughout his membership
in the revolutionary organization
he also maximized his
mission for change by contributing
to the local presses as a
reporter.
That after making numerous
attempts at communicating
the plight of an underserved
community his efforts
is now being rewarded with
such prestigious honor could
be regarded as poetic justice.
“It is always nice to be
acknowledged,” Johnson said,
“It is especially gratifying to
receive an award that honors
the memory of esteemed dramatist,
Harold Pinter, free thinker,
anti-imperialist and human
rights champion.”
Reportedly, ‘the Pen Pinter
Prize is named for playwright
Harold Pinter and is given
annually to a writer who displays
“fierce intellectual determination
…to define the real
truth of our lives and our societies.”
“Linton Kwesi Johnson is a
poet, reggae icon, academic,
and campaigner whose impact
on the cultural landscape over
the last half century has been
colossal and multi-generational,”
Claire Armitstead, a trustee
of English Pen said.
The intellectual and voting
member added — “It took all of
two seconds (for her and other
judges) to agree that we had a
clear and outstanding winner.”
LKJ migrated to England at
the age of 11.
Eleven years later he published
his first collection of
poems he named “Voices of the
Living Dead.”
That collection yielded more
than a few distinguishable commentaries
including “Dread
Beat and Blood,” “Forces of
Victory” and “LKJ in Dub.”
In addition to visual writings,
his natty dress, and stylized
delivery amplified and punctuated
to a cadence executed
through reggae beats from the
Dennis Bovell Band, endeared
Europeans to tune in to his
lyrical music compositions.
Since that time he has
toured the continent and the
USA using the vernacular of
Jamaican patois and standard
punctuations to amplify dub
poetry.
In 2002, his compilation of
poetry yielded “Mi Revalueshanary
Fren” which was published
by the Penguin Modern
Classis series.
With that endorsement LKJ
became the only Black poet
and second living poet to have
his work published in the British
series.
Also distinguished by his
island birth-nation in 2014
he was awarded the Order of
Distinction for his consistent
attention to the plight of the
common man.
Regaled with the fifth highest
honor Jamaica’s foremost
dub poet and his recitations
about racism and police brutality
in England became Britain’s
radical, real and revolutionary
expression to embrace.
Inside Life
By Vinette K. Pryce
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