Since the publication of her first novel, The Unbelonging (1985), Joan Riley has become an important figure in Black British Literature, specifically, and British Literature in general. In fact, with the publication of The Unbelonging, she was the first Afro-Caribbean woman author to write about the experiences of Blacks in England. Her accomplishment created literary space in contemporary British Literature for other Afro-Caribbean women writers to follow. Through her novels, Riley gives voices to not only the very young and the very old, but also, to the immigrant, poor, Black, and female. Her novels validate the lived experiences of Afro-Caribbeans. And, over the years, Riley has become a strong advocate for improvement …
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Citation: Rountree, Wendy. "Joan Riley". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 February 2005 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=3792, accessed 26 November 2024.]
