Sapphire

AmericanLiterary FictionContemporary FictionPoetryb. 1950

Sapphire (born Ramona Lofton) is an American author, poet, and performance artist known for her raw and powerful depictions of marginalized lives. She gained international acclaim for her bestselling novel 'Push' (1996), which was adapted into the Academy Award-winning film 'Precious'. Her work often explores themes of sexual abuse, poverty, illiteracy, and resilience, drawing on her own experiences and her background as a teacher in Harlem.

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Awards

['Book-of-the-Month Club Stephen Crane Award for First Fiction', 'Black Caucus of the American Library Association First Novelist Award', 'Mind Book of the Year Award (UK)', 'MacArthur Foundation Scholarship in Poetry (1994)', 'Year of the Poet III Award (1994)', 'United States Artists Fellow Award (2009)']