Djanet Sears is a Canadian playwright, nationally recognized for her work in African-Canadian theatre. Sears has many credits in writing and editing highly acclaimed dramas such as Afrika Solo, the first stage play to be written by a Canadian woman of African descent; its sequel Harlem Duet; and The Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God. as well as inclusion of songs, rhythm, and choruses shaped from West African traditions.
Early life and education
Djanet Sears was born in 1959 in England, to a Guyanese father and a Jamaican mother.
Career
After returning from a trip to West Africa, Sears wrote her stage play Afrika Solo, which premiered in 1987, and sparked the creation of many other full-length plays like Double Trouble, and Harlem Duet.
Sears contributed to the creation of the AfriCanadian Playwrights Festival in 1997, which is a culmination of African-centred plays on the Canadian stage. Sears also belongs to and is a founding member of the Obsidian Theatre, "dedicated to producing works by authors of African descent living or working in Canada." Sears's other distinctions include an even more extensive list, including Canada's highest literary award.
- Phenomenal Woman of the Arts Award
- Timothy Findley Award (2004)