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James Berry
James Berry was born and brought up in a tiny seaside village in
Jamaica. He learnt to read before he was four years old, mostly
from the Bible, which he often read aloud to his mother's friends.
As a child he loved the stories of Anancy Spiderman, and he began
writing his own stories and poems while he was still at school.
When he was 17, James went to work in America, but he
hated the way that black people were treated there, and returned to
Jamaica after four years. In 1948, he made his way to Britain, and
took a job working for British Telecom. He took up writing
seriously two years later, but it was some time before he started
writing poetry.
In his poems, he uses a mixture of standard English
and Creole, the language of Jamaica. He is active both as a writer
and in promoting black writing, especially black poetry.
James has won many awards for his poems and stories,
and was the Grand Prix Winner of the Smarties Prize in 1987 for A
Thief in the Village. In 1990 he was awarded an OBE for services to
Poetry.
Around the World in Eighty Poems
James Berry has gathered together poems from all around the world to reflect the individuality of different countries, but also to remind us that we live in a 'one-world family'. Different seasons, different animals, different places and different feelings are all celebrated here. (7+)
Published by Macmillan Children's Books
A Nest Full of Stars
A beautiful collection of poems capturing different aspects of James Berry's Caribbean childhood. Families, feelings, school and much more are all remembered in this warm-hearted anthology. (8+)
Published by Macmillan Children's Books
Playing A Dazzler
Drawing on his own experiences, James Berry brings to life the language, rhythms and moods of both Britain and Jamaica, the inner city and the countryside, in this inspirational collection of poems for every occasion. (10+)
Published in Puffin Books
A Thief in the Village
Becky longs for a bicycle like the boys have in the village; Fanso explores his need to know who his father really is; and Gustas is almost killed when he tries to save his banana tree from the hurricane. These nine, wonderful short stories offer a vivid picture of what it is like to grow up in the Caribbean. (10+)
Published in Puffin Books
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[ Windows Media Clip 1- 'Big Page Writer' from A Nest Full of Stars ]
[ Windows Media Clip 2- I was fascinated by the English language ]
[ Windows Media Clip 3- Read that passage for them James Berry! ]
[ Windows Media Clip 4- Bible stories had a tremendous impact on me ]
