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RIGHTS SOLDCanada: Thomas Allen, Fall 2005
Caribbean: Ian Randle Publishers, 2003
(Photo: Thomas King)
Austin Clarke is the winner of the 2002 Giller Prize, the 2003 Commonwealth Writers' Prize and the 16th Annual Trillium Prize for The Polished Hoe, which was also long-listed for the 2004 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. He is also the winner of the 1990 W.O. Mitchell Prize, awarded each year to a Canadian writer who has produced an outstanding body of work and has served as a mentor for other writers. Clarke, who lives in Toronto, is the author of nine novels and six-short story collections, including Choosing His Coffin: The Best Stories of Austin Clarke, and the culinary memoir, Love and Sweet Food.
A Memoir
by Austin Clarke
A DELIGHTFUL MEMOIR ABOUT THE TRIALS, JOYS, AND ULTIMATE DISILLUSIONMENT OF A SMALL BARBADIAN BOY EXPERIENCING BRITISH COLONIALISM IN THE 1940s
- Winner of the Casa de las Americas Literary Prize
Austin Clarke grew up in a society where rigid customs, rules and expectations were imported from England and accepted without question. Growing Up Stupid Under the Union Jack describes how he made his mark on that society despite the odds against him. This autobiography ties together his delight in the antics of people he encountered throughout childhood and a deep pride in his heritage. Through exhilarating storytelling and an unshakable sense of humour, Clarke's uphill battle is an adventure.
PRAISE FOR GROWING UP STUPID UNDER THE UNION JACK
“Exhilarating. Clarke makes West Indian speech into a form of music and poetry.” — THE GLOBE AND MAIL
“Uncommonly talented, Clarke sees deeply, and transmits his visions and perceptions so skillfully that reading him is an adventure.” — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
“Mr. Clarke is masterful.” — THE NEW YORK TIMES