The inaugural Jamaica Book Festival (JBF), led by literacy advocate Latoya West-Blackwood, is set to take place on December 6 to 8.

The three-day event kicks off on Friday with a children’s festival at the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Library and is set to include interactive storytelling, fun activities, and sessions aimed at developing literacy skills in children.

The children’s festival is free and open to the public, and will feature the unveiling of a children’s career book authored by Joel Nomdarkham, marketer, social impact creator, and JBF director of marketing.

On day two, titled Industry Day, JBF will focus on the business of the book industry, and will feature a line-up of six speakers, including publishers, authors, creative and literary professionals, to share their expertise and knowledge.

Feature presentations include grant writing, design chat with canva, emerging global marketing opportunities, marketing and publicity and publishing.  Industry Day will culminate with a special live podcast by ‘Reasonings with Odessa’, featuring an intimate conversation with Oku Onuora, the father of Jamaican Dub Poetry. This event is ticketed and will be held at The Hub, Coworking Limited in New Kingston.

The book festival culminates on Sunday at the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Library, and will entail literary discussions, book signings, and exhibitions from authors and artisans, as part of celebrating the vibrant literary community.

In addition to the festival events, the JBF also launched the Young Writers’ Prize, an initiative designed to spotlight and nurture the next generation of literary voices from Jamaica. The programme, which closed on November 30 was open to students in grades 9-13, with categories in poetry, fiction and non-fiction. A cash award of $30,000 will be presented to one winner in each category.

JBF is the birth of a lifelong dream by West-Blackwood which was fuelled by her love for books, which she developed when she was five-years-old. What started as a personal love for reading eventually manifested into actionable initiatives to promote and celebrate literacy, which led West-Blackwood to create JBF.

“I’ve always believed in the power of books to transport us to new worlds. This festival is a dream come true. At the heart of this festival is the mission to reimagine libraries as safe spaces and knowledge hubs for all Jamaicans, especially children and youth,” said West-Blackwood.

“I want JBF to become the place to discover emerging voices, nurture young readers, and create meaningful connections across languages and cultures. Through this festival, we aim to elevate our local talent and connect it to the wider world, building a platform where stories transcend borders,” she added.

For more information on JBF and its upcoming events, visit jamaicabookfest.com or follow @jamaicabookfestval on social media. You can also contact us at info@jamaicabookfest.com