Jackie Kay is a Scottish poet, novelist, and playwright. She was born in Edinburgh in 1961 and grew up in Glasgow. She is the first black person to be appointed as the Scots Makar, the national poet of Scotland. Her work often explores themes of identity, family, and belonging. She has published several collections of poetry, including The Adoption Papers, which won the Forward Prize for Best Collection in 1991. She has also written several novels, including Trumpet, which won the Guardian Fiction Prize in 1998. Her plays have been performed at the Royal National Theatre and the Royal Court Theatre. Jackie Kay is an important figure in contemporary Scottish literature.