One of Scotlands most celebrated living writers.
Spectator
Kay’s strength as a poet has always been her clear, plain style, and its fearless spoken poignancy
Daily Telegraph
Ambitious, defiant, angry and gripping . . . the bitter story of slavery through the experience of four women
Guardian
Jackie Kay’s work, formally expansive and inclusive, often an exploration of the hurt done by small-mindedness and its attendant exclusivity, is always about the opening up of our notions of identity . . . Kay has always been a watcher, a tracer of the “true” story.
- Ali Smith, author of <i>How to Be Both</i>,
I am still reeling from <i>The Lamplighter . . .</i> It reads like the ballad of four enslaved women as they tell us their personal horrors. This book lays bare Britain’s role in the slave trade and it is an illuminating look at truths we would rather leave in the darkness. It is as beautiful as it is devastating.
- Douglas Stuart, author of <i>Shuggie Bain</i>,
<i>The Lamplighter </i>is a heart-breaking ballad about four enslaved women and also a necessary look at Britain’s silent history in the slave trade. Ms. Kay is incredibly warm and humane as a writer; every line is tender and suffused with love.
Wall Street Journal