Published in 1969, Maya Angelou’s coming-of-age memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, was an immediate national bestseller and a critical success. The book, the first in a series that chronicled her early life through the 1960s, helped to establish Angelou (1928–2014) as a major figure in American letters. On this manuscript page from the book, Angelou captures the moment when she and her brother, Bailey, arrived in Arkansas to be raised by their paternal grandmother and presages the personalities that she and Bailey would later develop.
Today the manuscript is held at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, a part of The New York Public Library. With connections to activist, literary and expat communities in the United States and Ghana, Angelou’s work encapsulates the Schomburg Center’s strongest holdings – stories of the struggles, triumphs and fortitude in the everyday vicissitudes of Black life. We are honoured to partner with The New York Public Library to bring this fascinating document to our Paperblanks collection.
Hardcover
Wrap Closure
Ribbon marker
Lined interior
144 pages
120 gsm
Smythe Sewn
Memento Pouch
Decorative printed cover paper
FSC-certified text paper
Threaded stitching and glue, as needed
Acid-free sustainable forest paper
7" W x 9" H x 3/4" D