THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Tuesday marked Literacy Day with a lunchtime reading and mini concert at its offices at 21 Dominica Drive, New Kingston.

This year marked the third in the series of readings at the ministry, and was held under the theme ‘Literacy and Sustainable Societies’. The afternoon featured poetry readings by scholar and poet Tanya Shirley, an excerpt from a short story by author and Jamaica Observer Bookends editor Sharon Leach, and Spanish songs and poetry by Venezuelan singer/songwriter Luis Felipe.

In his address, junior foreign minister Arnaldo Brown said Jamaica “is proud of its high literacy rate which is a stark contrast to the global state of play, with the country exceeding the target of 85 per cent literacy at the primary level for 2015”.

Literacy Day is observed by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation every September 8 and is intended to remind the international community about the status of literacy and adult learning globally.

Here, Leach presents a copy of her latest book, Love It When You Come, Hate It When You Go, to Treveann Harris, acting acquisitions librarian at the National Library of Jamaica, during the programme.