Chris Abani
Opal Palmer Adisa
Wayne Armond
Jean Binta Breeze
Tim Cahill
Austin Clarke
Maryse Condé
Ibo Cooper
Arnaldo Correa
Blacka Ellis
Nelson Eubanks
Percival Everett
Leonie Forbes
Don George
Steve Golding
Barbara Blake Hannah
Sean Keith Henry
Ishion Hutchinson
Amanda Jones
Kaylie Jones
Laurie McAndish King
Glenville Lovell
Rita Marley
devorah major
John Maxwell
Mark McMorris
Tessa McWatt
China Miéville
Harryette Mullen
Claudia Rankine
Nina Revoyr
Time Seibles
Veronica Saulter
Nadine Sutherland
Rudolph Wallace
Dan Wideman
Anthony Winkler
Big Youth
Big Youth


One of the first musicians to openly sport dreadlocks on stage and on his album covers, Big Youth was born Manley Buchanan in 1949. Large in personality and bold in style, the iconic deejay broke the mold established by his role model Daddy U Roy. He took the art of deejaying from the realm of entertainment to the heights of cultural and political debate with controversial hits like “Every N*gger Is A Star” and “Green Bay Killing.” He is also famous for his graceful ghetto hymns like “I Pray Thee Continually” and “Love We A Deal With.” He hit the Jamaican Top 20 charts in 1972 with “The S 90 Skank,” and rode on that momentum into 1973, when he had four Top 20 hits — “A So We Stay,” “Chi Chi Run,” “Cool Breeze” and “Screaming Target.” His albums include Isaiah First Prophet of Old, Live At Reggae Sunsplash and A Luta Continua. With his front teeth studded with gems of red, green and gold he is both revolutionary and ghetto-fabulous — a true originator for all times.