Poetry & Manuscript Coaching
US-born, Mexican-raised writer Jennifer Clement straddles not only nationalities but genres. An established poet with several published volumes to her name, she has also steadily composed a set of novels whose spare, lyrical language gives voice to unforgettable characters such as Laydidi of Prayers for the Stolen, which was adapted for the screen by Mexican director Tatiana Hueso, and Pearl, the young narrator of Gun Love, also currently being developed as a feature film by producer-director Julie Taymor. Her memoir The Promised Party is forthcoming.
Amply recognized for her writing, with fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, among others, and residencies from MacDowell, the Hermitage and Santa Maddalena, Clement is also known for her work in human rights. As President of PEN Mexico (2009-2012), she was instrumental in changing the law to make killing a journalist a federal crime. Under her subsequent leadership as President of PEN International, the groundbreaking PEN International Women’s Manifesto and The Democracy of the Imagination Manifesto were created. Most recently, she received the 2023 Freedom of Expression Honorary Title on World Press Day from the Brussels University Alliance VUB and ULB in partnership with the European Commission, the European Endowment for Democracy and UNESCO.
Jennifer Clement lives between Mexico City and San Miguel de Allende.