Michelle Cliff

Michelle Carla Cliff (2 November 1946 – 12 June 2016) was a Jamaican-American author whose notable works included Abeng (1985), No Telephone to Heaven (1987), and Free Enterprise (1993).

In addition to novels, Cliff also wrote short stories, prose poems, and literary criticism. Her works explore the identity problems that stem from postcolonialism, race and gender constructs. A historical revisionist, many of Cliff's works seek to advance an alternative view of history against established mainstream narratives. Cliff identified as biracial and bisexual, and had both Jamaican and American citizenship. Her writings focused often on Caribbean identity.