Considered one of Jamaica’s most gifted and successful writers, Jamaican born novelist Anthony Winkler died peacefully at his home in Georgia last Friday.
Born in Kingston in 1942, Winkler attended schools in Kingston and Montego Bay, before migrating to the United States at the age of 21 to pursue his bachelors and masters degree in English.
A popular contributor to many post-secondary English literary texts, Winkler published numerous works of non-fiction and nine books of fiction that were sold worldwide, of which The Lunatic became the most known and beloved, earning him a spot on best-seller lists.
Among his many accomplishments include receiving the Jamaica’s Musgrave silver medal in 2004, and the gold in 2014 for his achievements in Literature. He also received the Townsend Prize,in 2014 a biennial literary award recognizing the achievement of Georgia fiction writers.
Although much of his life was spent in the United States, Winkler was very active in the Jamaican community, serving as president of the Atlantic Jamaican Association for two terms. He also coordinated hurricane Gilbert relief efforts in 1988 and helped to bring plays from Jamaica to the United States.
At the time of his death he resided in Atlanta, where he lived for many years with his wife Cathy, who survives him.
