Jean D' Costa
Jean D'Costa
Childhood Years :Jean D’Costa (nee Creary) was born on January 13, 1937, the last of three children. Her parents were both elementary school teachers who lived and worked in various parts of rural Jamaica. Along with her elder sister, Pansy (now Mrs Hay), and their brother Aubrey, Jean attended the schools where her parents taught.
Education : In 1948 she won a government scholarship to St Hilda’s High School in Brown’s Town. Here she spent six years, three of them in VIth Form (1949-54). After two more terms at St Hugh’s High school in Kingston in 1955, she entered the University College of the West Indies and read for an honours degree in English (1955-58). An overseas scholarship took her in 1959 to read for an M.Litt. in Jacobean drama at Oxford University (1962).
Adulthood : She was hired to teach Old English and linguistics at U.C.W.I., Mona (1962-77). Between 1977 and 1980 she was engaged in research into archaic Jamaican creole and culture, along with freelance writing. She then taught creative writing, linguistics, Caribbean literature and Old English at Hamilton College, Clinton, New York (1980-98).
Books Published : Black Lightning Escape to Last Man Peak, Over Our Way, Language in Exile: Three Hundred Years of Jamaican Creole, Over Our Way: A Collection of Caribbean Short Stories for Youngsters, Voice in the Wind, Voices in Exile: Jamaican Texts of the 18th and 19th Centuries
Nationality :Jamaican
Education : In 1948 she won a government scholarship to St Hilda’s High School in Brown’s Town. Here she spent six years, three of them in VIth Form (1949-54). After two more terms at St Hugh’s High school in Kingston in 1955, she entered the University College of the West Indies and read for an honours degree in English (1955-58). An overseas scholarship took her in 1959 to read for an M.Litt. in Jacobean drama at Oxford University (1962).
Adulthood : She was hired to teach Old English and linguistics at U.C.W.I., Mona (1962-77). Between 1977 and 1980 she was engaged in research into archaic Jamaican creole and culture, along with freelance writing. She then taught creative writing, linguistics, Caribbean literature and Old English at Hamilton College, Clinton, New York (1980-98).
Books Published : Black Lightning Escape to Last Man Peak, Over Our Way, Language in Exile: Three Hundred Years of Jamaican Creole, Over Our Way: A Collection of Caribbean Short Stories for Youngsters, Voice in the Wind, Voices in Exile: Jamaican Texts of the 18th and 19th Centuries
Nationality :Jamaican