Andrea Levy and her book Small Island, published in 2004, has returned to our attention recently with the news that BBC One has commissioned an adaptation.
I haven't read the book, although it has been on my list for some time (and I must read it before next autumn which is when it will be screened), but it intrigues me, so this week I'm shining the spotlight on Andrea.
Born in Britain, Andrea Levy is the daughter of Jamaican parents who sailed over to England in 1948, searching for a better life. She grew up as a black child in a predominantly white country, so has an unusual perspective on the country of her birth. She neither felt totally included in society nor an outsider. It is this unique perspective which has been explored in her books.
Andrea, now living and working in London, began writing in her mid thirties. After attending writing workshops she, like many other people when they begin to write, wrote books that she wanted to read.
The awards she has won include the Arts Council Award, the Orange Prize for Fiction, Whitbread Novel Award and Commonwealth Writers Prize.
You can find more information on her website.
Bibliography
Every Light In The House Burnin' (1994)
Never Far From Nowhere (1996)
Fruit of The Lemon (1999)
Small Island (2004)
