Born in England to a Guyanese father and a Jamaican mother, Sears was raised in England and in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Her birth name was Janet -- she added the D when she came across a town called Djanet on a trip to Mali.

Her play Harlem Duet won many Canadian awards, including four Dora Mavor Moore Awards and a Governor-General's Award for drama.

In addition to her writing, Sears also acts in theatre and film productions. She was also a founding member of Obsidian Theatre Company, a Toronto theatre company that specializes in African and Caribbean Canadian drama, and is a professor at the University of Toronto.

Plays by Djanet Sears: