Sofie Sigrinn · CC BY-SA 4.0

Born Elaine Cynthia Potter Richardson in Antigua, Kincaid became a major voice in postcolonial literature, writing novels and essays that examine colonialism, family, and identity from the vantage of the Caribbean she left as a teenager. Her essay-length short story "Girl" and novels including Annie John established a spare, incantatory prose style widely taught and studied. She later served as Professor of African and African American Studies in Residence Emerita at Harvard, alongside her writing on gardening.