Rosa Guy was born Rosa Cuthbert in Diego Martin, Trinidad on September 1, 1922. When she was 7, she and her older sister joined their parents in New York City. By the time she was 14, both of her parents had died. Before becoming an author, she studied acting at the American Negro Theater. She was among the founders of the Harlem Writers Guild in 1950. Her first book, Bird at My Window, was published in 1966. She wrote books for both young adults and adults. Her young adult books include The Friends, Ruby, and Edith Jackson. Her books for adults include A Measure of Time, Children of Longing, and My Love, My Love: Or, The Peasant Girl, which was made into a musical entitled Once on This Island. She died of cancer on June 3, 2012 at the age of 89.
030