Carlos Rigby

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Carlos Rigby (June 19, 1945 – May 23, 2017) was a Black West Indian poet from Laguna de Perlas on Nicaragua’s Atlantic coast. He is considered one of the region’s most important poets, often called “el poeta Rigby.” His poetry comes from oral traditions and uses several languages: English, Spanish and Creole.

English was his home language, while Spanish was the language of his schooling and the main language of his poetry. His poems include Spanish-English wordplay and refrains inspired by Indigenous languages of the area. Translator Stephen Henighan explains that Rigby’s modern life is in Spanish, while English represents a pre-technology world, so translations must reflect that difference. Rigby also supported political causes, traveling to London to back anti-colonial resistance over the Falkland Islands and to New York to support the Black Panthers.