21 June 1949
John Agard was born on 21 June 1949 in British Guiana and grew up in Georgetown. He studied English, French, and Latin, and began writing poetry while still in school.
After leaving school in 1967, Agard worked as a teacher and journalist in Guyana before moving to the United Kingdom in 1977. He has published numerous collections of poetry and children's books. His work is known for its wit, its use of Caribbean vernacular, and its exploration of identity and cultural hybridity. He has performed his poetry widely and is recognised as a leading figure in the British spoken-word tradition.
Agard received the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry in 2012 and the Paul Hamlyn Award for Poetry in 1997. He was awarded the BookTrust Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He is married to the poet Grace Nichols.
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