Edgar Nkosi White

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Edgar Nkosi White is a playwright, poet and novelist.  He was born in the Caribbean of Montserrat and was raised in New York City (South Bronx).
His literary career began with the poet Langston Hughes who encouraged his writing when Edgar won a city-wide poetry contest while in high school of which, Hughes was the adjudicator.  This led to a production of a play, The Wonderful Yeare at Joseph Papp’s Public Theater.  Three other stage productions would follow there including The Scottsboro Boys (Burghers of Calais), which later toured.  The success of these plays led to a collection of his plays being published: UNDERGROUND—4 plays and then THE CRUCIFICADO—2 plays, both published by William and Morrow.
Edgar Nkosi White then attended the Yale School of Drama and formed his first company there (Yale Black Players).  After a successful production of his play, Lament for Rastafari was produced at Ellen Stewart’s Cafe La Mama and later toured London, Edgar moved to Britain where he produced plays for the stage:  Masada at the Royal Court and The Long and Cheerful Road to Slavery, The Riverside Studio.  He also wrote for the BBC radio drama and BBC television.  He published a novel, The Rising, as well as four books of plays.  He spent ten years in London and formed two companies, Temba and the Black Theatre Co-op.
Upon Edgar’s return to New York City he was Adjunct Professor at City College of New York where he taught Humanities and Creative Writing.  Later he was IRADAC Writer in Residence (2007-2009).
Edgar’s work is part of the National Theatre Black Archive of Great Britain (2010) and can be accessed on line.  His publishers are Marion Boyars and Penguin, and his writing is featured regularly in Monthly Review.  He is also a member of New Dramatists.
Presently City College of New York has the largest collection of his published work together with Alexander Street Press.  Because of Edgar Nkosi White’s spiritual connection with City College, he has officially given permission for the College to be the final repository of the Edgar Nkosi White Papers.
Books by Edgar Nkosi White
Plays
UNDERGROUND—4 plays (William and Morrow, 1970)
THE CRUCIFICADO—2 plays (William and Morrow, 1973)
LAMENT FOR RASTAFARI—3 plays (Marion Boyars, 1983)
THE NINE NIGHT—2 plays (Methuen, 1984
REDEMPTION SONG—3 plays (Marion Boyars, 1986)

I MARCUS GARVEY (Applause Theatre Books, 1989)
Children’s Books
SATI, THE RASTIFARIAN (Lothrop and Shepherd, 1973)
OMAR AT CHRISTMAS (Publ Lothrop and Shepherd, 1973)
THE CHILDREN OF NIGHT (Lothrop and Shepherd, 1974)
Novel
THE RISING (Published by Marion Boyars, 1988)