Derek Walcott

Date of Birth: January 23, 1930

Zodiac Sign: Aquarius

Date of Death: March 17, 2017

Biography

Derek Walcott was a renowned Saint Lucian poet and playwright, celebrated for his vivid and lyrical writings that explore themes of identity, colonialism, and the Caribbean experience. Born on January 23, 1930, in Castries, Saint Lucia, Walcott’s early exposure to literature came through his mother, a teacher, and his father, a painter and poet who died when Derek was just a year old. Walcott’s career began in earnest with the publication of his first collection of poems, “25 Poems,” in 1948 while he was still a teenager. He went on to study at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica, further honing his craft. Over the years, he published numerous collections of poetry, including “In a Green Night: Poems 1948–1960” (1962), “The Castaway” (1965), and “The Star-Apple Kingdom” (1979). One of his most acclaimed works is the epic poem “Omeros” (1990), which reinterprets the themes of Homer’s epics within a Caribbean context. In addition to his poetry, Walcott was an accomplished playwright and founded the Trinidad Theatre Workshop in 1959. His plays often delved into social issues and the complexities of Caribbean life. Walcott received numerous accolades throughout his career, including the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1992, the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry in 1988, and the T.S. Eliot Prize in 2011. He passed away on March 17, 2017, but his work continues to inspire and resonate with readers worldwide.

5 Interesting Facts about Derek Walcott

1. Walcott’s epic poem “Omeros” is considered one of the greatest achievements in contemporary poetry.

2. He founded the Trinidad Theatre Workshop in 1959, which became a significant cultural institution in the Caribbean.

3. Walcott was also an accomplished painter, and his artwork often accompanied his literary works.

4. He received more than 20 honorary degrees from universities around the world.

5. Walcott’s work often explored the complexities of post-colonial identity and the Caribbean experience.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Derek Walcott

1. “The English language is nobody’s special property. It is the property of the imagination: it is the property of the language itself.”

2. “Break a vase, and the love that reassembles the fragments is stronger than that love which took its symmetry for granted when it was whole.”

3. “To change your language you must change your life.”

4. “The fate of poetry is to fall in love with the world.”

5. “I’m just a red nigger who love the sea, I had a sound colonial education, I have Dutch, nigger, and English in me, and either I’m nobody, or I’m a nation.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

The highest net worth achieved by Derek Walcott is estimated to have been around $1 million.

Children

Derek Walcott had three children: Peter Walcott, Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw, and Anna Walcott-Hardy. Elizabeth is a noted academic and writer, continuing her father’s literary legacy.