Introduction

Anthony Winkler (1942-2015) was a celebrated Jamaican writer, known for his irreverent and ‘out of order’ take on serious matters.  His well-known novels include The Painted Canoe, The Duppy, as well as The Lunatic and The Annihilation of Fish which were both made into movies; the latter starring Hollywood actor, James Earl Jones and British actress, Lynn Redgrave.  Winkler was also a playwright and poet, though much of his poetry remains unpublished.  He received both a silver and gold Musgrave Medals in 2004 and 2014, respectively, for his contribution to literature.

Despite his having lived in the US for the majority of his adult life, Winkler maintained an unbreakable connection to his homeland.  In his memoir, Going Home to Teach, he reflects on America as “nothing more than a place where I worked.  My home was Jamaica and my heart longed to return there.”  With the acquisition of his archives (including personal papers, correspondence and unpublished manuscripts) by the National Library of Jamaica, Winkler is indeed ‘home at last’.