Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou

A remarkable Renaissance woman who is hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary American literature..

Angelou is known for the autobiographical writings I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969) and All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes (1986). Her volume of poetry, Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'Fore I Die (1971) was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, and in 1993, Angelou read her poem On the Pulse of Morning for Bill Clinton's Presidential inauguration at his request.

Throughout her life, Angelou has defied social norms. After being raped by her mother's boyfriend, she withdrew and was mute for five years. However, encouraged by her grandmother, who introduced her to literature, she gradually emerged as a talented artist. Her diverse career includes being the first black streetcar conductor in San Francisco. In 1954, Angelou turned to acting before she started writing while also working as northern coordinator and fund raiser for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In the 1960s, Angelou began to focus on her writing and, in 1970, her first autobiographical work, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, became a bestseller and was nominated for a National Book Award. She has gone on to become one of the most prolific and widely read black women writers in the world.

Fact file

Name: Maya Angelou

Date of birth: 1928

Place of birth: St. Louis, Missouri

Education: Attended public school in Stamps, Arkansas and San Francisco, California

Similar Authors: Alice Walker, Toni Morrison

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I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

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Maya Angelou's six volumes of autobiography are a testament to the talents and resilience of this extraordinary writer. Loving the world, she also knows its cruelty. As a Black woman she has known discrimination and extreme poverty, but also...
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More books by Maya Angelou

The Collected Autobiographies of Maya Angelou

The Collected Autobiographies of Maya Angelou

by Maya Angelou

Format: Hardback 1184 pages
Published: 06/10/2005
Publisher: Virago Press Ltd

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When I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings was published to widespread acclaim in 1969, Maya Angelou garnered the attention of an international audience... Read more

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Gather Together in My Name

Gather Together in My Name

by Maya Angelou

Format: Paperback 224 pages
Published: 13/05/1985
Publisher: Virago Press Ltd

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Maya Angelou's volumes of autobiography are a testament to the talents and resilience of this extraordinary writer. Loving the world, she also... Read more

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The Heart of a Woman

The Heart of a Woman

by Maya Angelou

Format: Paperback 352 pages
Published: 25/09/1986
Publisher: Virago Press Ltd

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Maya Angelou's five volumes of autobiography are a testament to the talents and resilience of this extraordinary writer. Loving the world, she... Read more

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A Song Flung Up to Heaven

A Song Flung Up to Heaven

by Maya Angelou

Format: Paperback 192 pages
Published: 01/09/2003
Publisher: Virago Press Ltd

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It is 1964 and Maya Angelou is on her way back home, leaving behind her beloved - and now seriously teenage - son Guy, to finish university in... Read more

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Singin' and Swingin' and Getting' Merry: Like Christmas

Singin' and Swingin' and Getting' Merry: Like Christmas

by Maya Angelou

Format: Paperback 320 pages
Published: 24/10/1985
Publisher: Virago Press Ltd

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Maya Angelou's five volumes of autobiography are a testament to the talents and resilience of this extraordinary writer. Loving the world, she... Read more

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