Claude McKay, born Festus Claudius McKay (1889–1948), was a seminal figure in the Harlem Renaissance. Born in Jamaica, McKay moved to New York after publishing his first books of poetry, and his 1922 poetry collection, Harlem Shadows, was among the first books published during the Renaissance. McKay wrote five novels, one of which, Home to Harlem, won the literary gold medal from the William E. Harmon Awards for Distinguished Achievement among Negroes. A social activist with strong political convictions, McKay is noted for the power and social realism of his writing.
WORKS THAT HAVE APPEARED IN NARRATIVE:
- America, poetry, in Poems of the Week: 2019–2020