THE Red Bones Blues Café on Braemar Avenue in St Andrew was abuzz Thursday evening with dozens of local and international writers, artists, musicians and book lovers who turned out for the launch of the 2007 Calabash International Literary Festival.

The festival, which is in its seventh year, is set for the weekend of May 25-27, and will once again be staged at its magical south-coast seaside home - Jake's in Treasure Beach, St Elizabeth.
The launch provided the perfect opportunity for the organisers Colin Channer, Kwame Dawes and Justine Henzell to rap with book lovers and also share plans with the media for this year's staging of the annual event.

Colin Channer (right) and organiser Kwame Dawes enjoy the company of writer Beverly East at the festival's launch. (Photos: Garfield Robinson)

While munching on cocktails and enjoying the spirit of fellowship, guests were treated to performances by local poets Mel Cooke, Sonja Harris, Natalie Curtesay and American Greg Pardlow, and music by guitarist Billy Mystic.

"This year, the festival will be the best ever for several reasons. The recognition of the festival has grown around the world and we are extremely happy about that," Channer told the gathering, adding that the festival will host the announcement of the winners of the 2007 Commonwealth Writers Prize.

"We've been able to keep the festival free and open to the public even as costs rise. Calabash now has national, regional and international appeal and every year we try to refine the experience for the audience," Channer told SunDay after the launch. "We just want to continue to create a welcoming environment for people by removing barriers including cost."
Jamaica's deputy director of tourism, David Shields, described Calabash as another perfect medium for promoting Jamaican talent to the world.

"The event is big in showcasing the literary genius of Jamaica and opening up the south coast to visitors from all over the world. As the only literary festival in the English-speaking Caribbean, we are pleased to stand behind it," Shields said.

As usual, the weekend will be packed with readings, music, theatre, film, discussions, workshops and open-mike sessions, among other activities. The stellar line-up of writers that will grace the stage at the three-day festival this year includes Pulitzer-winning novelist Michael Ondaatje (Canada), whose definitive work, The English Patient was made into an Oscar-winning film.

Caryl Phillips (United Kingdom), Andrew O'Connor (Australia), Maxine Case (South Africa), Kendel Hippolyte (St Lucia), Lloyd Jones (New Zealand) and Elizabeth Alexander (USA) will also appear, among several others.

Other features for 2007 include the 50th anniversary celebration of VS Naipaul's The Mystic Masseur ; a 30th anniversary tribute to two classic reggae albums: Bob Marley's Exodus and Third World's 96 Degrees in the Shade, and the Jamaican pemiere of the prize-winning one-man show Who Killed Bob Marley? by Roger Guenveur Smith.

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