Jackie Kay

**Jacqueline Margaret Kay** (wey dem born am on de 9 November 1961) be Scottish poet, playwright, den novelist. People know am well pass sake of ein books like *Other Lovers* (1993), *Trumpet* (1998) den *Red Dust Road* (2011). Kay win plenty awards too, like Somerset Maugham Award for 1994, Guardian Fiction Prize for 1998, den Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Book of de Year Award for 2011. From 2016 reach 2021, Jackie Kay be de Makar, wey be Scotland ein official poet (poet laureate). She be Chancellor for University of Salford from 2015 reach 2022.

## Ein early life den education
Dem born Jackie Kay insyd Edinburghwey dey Scotland, for 1961, give ein Scottish mommie den ein Nigerian poppie. Dem adopt am as baby by white Scottish couple wey dem be Helen den John Kay, den she grow up for Bishopbriggs, one suburb wey edey near Glasgow side. Dem adopt Jackie for 1961, after dem adopt ein bro Maxwell about two years. Jackie sanaa get siblings wey ein real biological parents raise dem.

Ein adoptive poppie, dey work full-time for Communist Party, den e even stand as candidate make e become Member of Parliament. Ein adoptive mommie, Helen Kay, be de Scottish secretary for Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (dem wey dey fight say no nuclear bomb again). As a kiddie, Jackie Kay face plenty racism from ein fellow kiddies den even sam teachers for school. Ein poppie John Kay die for 2019, e reach 94 years old. Sanaa ein mommie Helen Kay sanso die for 2021 at 90 years.

As teenager, na she dey work as a cleaner, den she clean for David Cornwell wey we all dey know am as John le Carré, de big spy novel writer for four months straight. She even advise young writers wey wan write say make dem try cleaning work, she talk say: "E sweet die... You dey hear everything wey dey go on. You fit be spy proper, but nobody go tink say you dey collect any tin or dey pay attention. "For 2019, Cornwell den Jackie Kay san meet, den de man remember am den edey follow ein career all de way.

For August 2007, dem feature Kay for de fourth episode of BBC Radio 4 series *The House I Grew Up In*, wer she talk about how she grow up den ein kiddie time.

## Ein Career
At first, Jackie Kay dey think say she go be actor. Buh later she decide say she go focus on writing after Scottish artist den writer Alasdair Gray read ein poetry den tell am say ein writing be de thing wey she suppose do. She go study English for University of Stirling. Ein first poetry book, *The Adoption Papers*, wey dem publish, cam out for 1991. De book talk about ein own life wey she win Saltire Society Scottish First Book Award den Scottish Arts Council Book Award for 1992. De poetry collection get multiple voices wey dey talk about identity, race, nationality, gender den sexuality from de view of three women: one mixed-race child wey dem adopt, de woman wey adopt am, den ein real mommie. She sanso win Somerset Maugham Award for *Other Lovers* insyd 1994 den Guardian Fiction Prize for *Trumpet*, wey be story wey take inspiration from American jazz musician Billy Tipton, wey be transgender man.

For 1997, Kay write den publish biography about blues singer Bessie Smith. Dem release de book again for 2021. Short version wey Kay einself read show for BBC Radio 4 as *Book of the Week* for de last week of February 2021.

Kay write plenty things for stage, TV screen den kiddies too. For 1988, ein play *Twice Over* be de first play by a Black writer wey Gay Sweatshop Theatre Group produce. Ein drama *The Lamplighter* dey talk about de exploration of de Atlantic slave trade. Dem broadcast am for BBC Radio 3 for March 2007 wey Pam Fraser Solomon produce am, during de season wey mark 200 years since Slave Trade Act 1807. Later dem publish am as poem for 2008.

For 2010, Kay publish *Red Dust Road*, wey be story about how she dey search for ein real parents. Ein poppie den mommie meet wen ein poppie be student for University of Aberdeen den ein mommie be nurse. Later, Tanika Gupta adapt den turn de book into stage play, wey dem perform am first for August 2019 insyd Edinburgh International Festival at de Royal Lyceum Theatre wey dey insyd production by National Theatre of Scotland den HOME Manchester. People sanso dey compare de work with *Looking for Transwonderland* by Noo‑Saro‑Wiwa.

Right now, Kay be Professor of Creative Writing for Newcastle University den Cultural Fellow for Glasgow Caledonian University. She dey live for Manchester. For 2011 she join Bush Theatre project *Sixty-Six Books*, wer she wrep piece based on de biblical book of Esther from de King James Bible. For October 2014, dem announce say Kay go be Chancellor of University of Salford, wey she start work as de university ein Writer-in-Residence from 1 January 2015.

For March 2016, dem announce say Kay go be de next Scots Makar (Scotland national poet), after Liz Lochhead fini ein time for de position insyd January 2016.

Kay receive Member of de Order of the British Empire (MBE) for 2006 Birthday Honours secof ein work for literature. Later for 2020 New Year Honours, dem give am Commander of de Order of the British Empire (CBE) again for ein contribution to literature. She sanso join de list of BBC 100 Women wey dem announce for 23 November 2020. 

For September 2024, dem announce say National Library of Scotland collect Kay ein literary archive. 

For June 2025, Kay go lead de Salford Literacy Symposium for University of Salford. Dis be de first conference, wey e aim be to encourage more young people make dem read. De programme be part of National Literacy Trust campaign wey dey try increase reading den writing levels for Salford.

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