The inaugural Jamaica Book Festival, founded by Latoya West-Blackwood, will be held in Kingston from December 6 – 8, 2024.
The Jamaica Book Festival is a new literary extravaganza celebrating literature, culture, and the transformative power of books in the Caribbean nation. It brands itself as a “festival of ideas,” hoping to spark important conversations and foster creativity while highlighting the rich cultural heritage of Jamaica and the Caribbean.
It is founded and directed by Latoya West-Blackwood, the immediate past chairperson of the Book Industry Association of Jamaica. Her work focuses on gender equity, social justice, literacy, and intellectual property rights as tools for transformation and inclusive prosperity.
Those who attend will be treated to workshops and masterclasses conducted by Saeed Thomas, Michelle-Ann Letman, Carey-Lee Dixon, Stephanie Lumley, and Alicia Liu focusing on the best practices in the publishing and related industries. There will also be author talks, daily entertainment activities, panels, as well as a book and artisan village which will showcase booksellers, creatives professionals, and artisans. A children’s program that will host over 500 students from 15 schools across the island for a day of reading, fun, and imagination.
Also on the cards will be the Jamaica Book Festival Young Writers Prize open to high school writers from grades 9 – 13 adjudicated by a jury chaired by Nicole Dennis-Benn (fiction), Jenelle Samuels (poetry), and Stanley Griffin (nonfiction).
We recommend the festival website or Instagram page for information on the schedule.
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