Anthony C. Winkler was born on February 25, 1942, in the city of Kingston, Jamaica. At the tender age of eight, his family relocated to Montego Bay in St. James. However, a year later, his father decided to send him back to Kingston to live with his grandparents. Winkler's educational journey began at Excelsior College in Kingston, where he was later joined by Mt. Alvernia Academy and Cornwall College in Montego Bay for his secondary school education.
After completing his high school education, Winkler returned to Kingston, where he secured a job as an accounting clerk with various businesses in the city. In 1962, he made the bold decision to migrate to California in the United States, where he enrolled at the California State University. Winkler's academic pursuits led him to graduate with a B.A. in English in 1967 and a M.A. in English in 1968.
Following his academic achievements, Winkler briefly taught at the Pasadena City College before joining a firm of college textbook publishers. This exposure to the publishing industry significantly influenced him to begin writing. He became a full-time writer in 1975 and returned to Jamaica, where he was married. Shortly after his marriage, he returned to the United States, establishing himself as a writer of textbooks. By 1976, he had transitioned into a full-time freelance writer.
Winkler's first book of fiction, The Painted Canoe, took him several years to write and over a decade to get published. Despite facing numerous rejections, Kingston Publishers finally published the book in 1984. The book garnered significant success in both Jamaica and the United States. His subsequent works include The Lunatic, published in 1987, which became a bestseller, followed by The Great Yacht Race in 1992, Going to Home to Teach in 1995, and The Duppy in 1997.
In addition to his literary accomplishments, Winkler has also ventured into screenwriting. In 1991, he wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of The Lunatic, and in 1999, his original screenplay, The Annihilation of Fish, was filmed in Los Angeles, starring James Earl Jones, Lynn Redgrave, and Margot Kidder. He has also penned two plays, The Burglar, produced at the Little Little Theatre in May 2003, and The Hippopotamus Card in 2004.
Winkler has been residing in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife Cathy since 1979. His daughter is an industrial and occupational psychologist, while his son is a high school English teacher.
