The 12th Annual Jamaica Poetry Festival is set for the AC Hotel in New Kingston on Sunday, with a wide range of activities that will culminate in wit and intriguing realism around high-quality poetry well into the night.
Beginning at mid-morning, the festival will include a family-friendly creative arts workshop scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; an arts and crafts exhibition; followed by the Jamaica 60th Anniversary Dinner between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m., then poetry starting at 7:00 p.m.
The 60th anniversary dinner is called, “Voice for the Voiceless in Support of the Deaf Community,” as proceeds from the dinner will go to the Jamaica Association of the Deaf. Organizers have indicated that this is in an effort to help members of the deaf community better communicate with police and the public through text messaging.
Among the main personalities appearing at this year’s festival are Monty Alexander and Skip Marley, both via virtual appearances; Professor Mervyn Morris, Ebony Payne, Marjorie Whylie, Yasus Afari, Calvin Mitchell, George Elliot Clarke, Michael Abrahams, Mark Stephenson, Kai Falconer and Sammoya Banton.
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The festival is being sponsored by a wide range of national corporations and other entities, including Jamaica National, Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), VM Investments, Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS), Jamaica Observer, Proven Investment, Sandals , Digicel Foundation, Tuff Gong International Limited, Sun Coast Beach Club, an ultra-inclusive resort-inspired gated community being developed at 12 Miles, St Thomas; together with the Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica (PBCJ), Learning Life Jamaica and Art of Life Magazine.
