Edwidge Danticat

Born in Leogane, Haiti in 1969, Edwidge Danticat, who did not begin learning English until her adolescence, received wide acclaim for her 1994 debut novel Breath Eyes Memory. Her writing often focuses on the lives of Haitians in their struggles with poverty, political repression, fear, and racism. She has since published numerous works of fiction and nonfiction including her memoir Brother I'm Dying which was recognized with the National Book Critics Circle Award. She was also awarded a MacArthur Foundation fellowship in 2009. Updated 2010