Nikki Giovanni
Nikki Giovanni (Yolande Cornelia Giovanni Jr.) was born on June 7th, 1943. Nikki passed away December 9th, 2024 at 81 years old. Nikki Giovanni was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. Giovanni attended Fisk University where she received a B.A. degree in history. She also attended the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University.
Nikki Giovanni was best known as an American poet who wrote works ranging from intimate personal statements and poems for children. She was one of the key members of the
Black Arts Movement during the 1960s and early 1970s.
She was the daughter of Yolande Giovanni and Jones Giovanni, who were grade school teachers. During the late 1960s, she was very active in the
Civil Rights Movement and got into
Black Power. She would then begin to write poems suffused with revolutionary and deliberate interpretations of experience in combination with Black consciousness.
After having her son in 1969, Nikki Giovanni began to write about single motherhood in her poetry. Moving into the 1970s, themes of family affection thwarted hopes, and loneliness became suffused into her poetry. In the 1980s, she would branch out into political concerns and autobiographical reminiscences.
Nikki began doing readings of her poetry during the 1960s and her performances would become very popular. She would also become a respected speaker who lectured at many universities across the United States.
For her work, she gained notoriety and recognition in several spheres. In 2007, a scientist who loved Nikki Giovanni’s work named a new species of bat after her. In 2023, her career and life were chronicled in
Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project, which was the winner of an
Emmy Award in 2024.
The Grasshopper’s Song is Nikki Giovanni’s most reviewed work which she published in 2008. A twist on an Aesop fable, it tells the story of the grasshoppers who play their instruments and sing while the Ants work to their rhythm. But after the harvest, the ants turn their backs on the grasshoppers, and the latter sue for what they deserve.
Earlier in 2005, Nikki published
Rosa which chronicles the story of Mrs Rosa Parks who gained notoriety after refusing to give up her seat on a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama. This is a tribute to Mrs. Park's actions of courage and boldness and what happened thereafter.
A Library is a work that Nikki Giovanni published in 2021. lt is the story of a black girl who helps her grandmother with housework before she heads off to the library to read and borrow books that she spends the evening reading.
Nikki Giovanni: Awards & Accolades
Nikki Giovanni won the Library of Virginia, Lifetime Achievement Award, in 2016.
Giovanni's book, Love Poems was nominated for the Audie Award, Best Narration by the Author, in 2018.
Related Authors
The most common authors followed by users who also follow Nikki Giovanni are:
- Haruki Murakami, author of the novel: 1Q84.
- Louise Penny, author of the Inspector Gamache Series.
- Joe Hill, author of the NOS4A2 Series.
- Agatha Christie, author of the novel: And Then There Were None / Ten Little Indians.
- Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid's Tale Series.
Nikki Giovanni: F.A.Q
When was Nikki Giovanni Born?
Nikki Giovanni was born on June 7th, 1943.
When did Nikki Giovanni die?
Nikki Giovanni died on December 9th, 2024 at 81 years old.
Where was Nikki Giovanni Born?
Nikki Giovanni was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA.
What awards has Nikki Giovanni won?
Nikki Giovanni has won the following awards: Lifetime Achievement Award at the Library of Virginia (2016).
What was the first book Nikki Giovanni wrote?
The first book written by Nikki Giovanni was Black Judgement, published in 1968.
What was the most recent book Nikki Giovanni wrote?
Her most recently released work was Poems: 1968-2020 on March 7th, 2024.
How many books has Nikki Giovanni written?
Nikki Giovanni has written 49 books excluding contributions to anthologies. 4 books in the Collections, 28 books in the Poetry, 11 books in the Children's Books, 6 books in the Non-Fiction Books.