IN the island's 50th year of independence from Britain, the Jamaica Poetry Festival will be celebrating 100 years with a special tribute to Harry Belafonte, Bob Marley, and Claude McKay.

The festival — now in its second year — is scheduled for the Louise Bennett Garden Theatre in St Andrew on Sunday, August 12.

A Jamaica 50 endorsed event, the festival has the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission an associate partner.

"In light of the unprecedented national and international interest and support for the successful inaugural staging of the annual Jamaica Poetry Festival in 2011, I ,hereby, invite the entire Jamaican family, well wishers and friends to share in the experience of the Jamaica Poetry Festival," said Yasus Afari, founder/promoter in a release.

The festival will feature: Professor Fred Hickling; Mutabaruka; Wayne Chen; Joan Andrea Hutchinson; Akinsanya 'Uprising' Palmer; Dr Michael Abraham; Osakwe; Kai Falconer; Ras JaJa; FuZion; Richie Innocent; Steppa; Viv Morris-Brown; K'Shema Francis; and, Yasus Afari.

An international guest as well as a special surprise guest performer.

The release also stated that the organisers are in the process of formalising the Jamaica Poetry Foundation which will assist in establishing a sustained effort to enhance the impact of Jamaican poetry as it moves beyond the Jamaica 50th anniversary.