Wandeka Gayle

Dr. Wandeka Gayle is an Associate Professor of Creative Writing at Spelman College's Department of English. A Jamaican writer and visual artist, she has taught at the college level for approximately sixteen years, including roles at Southern Utah University and Northern Caribbean University. Her work explores African Diaspora experiences through Afro-Caribbean and African American migration narratives.

• Education: Ph.D. in English/Creative Writing from University of Louisiana at Lafayette, M.A. in English from Andrews University, B.A. in English and Mass Communications from Northern Caribbean University

Research Focus: Gayle's creative and critical writing examines cultural adaptation, memory preservation, and the balance between assimilation and cultural erasure within the African Diaspora. Her current project is the novel My Name Is Sweet Thing, which won the Solstice Literary Prize for Fiction in 2023.

Awards: Recipient of writing fellowships from Hedgebrook, Kimbilio Fiction, and the Hurston/Wright Foundation. Recognized with the Bernice and Robert Webb Award for Excellence in Teaching at ULL.

Publications: Spanning fiction, creative non-fiction, and poetry, her work appears in The Rumpus, Transition, Prairie Schooner, and Solstice Literary Magazine. Notable accolades include O. Henry Prize and Pushcart Prize nominations.