Jamaican authors flock book festival
Published:Wednesday | March 30, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Nedburn Thaffe, Gleaner Writer
Members of the literary arts community turned out at the Spanish Court Hotel, New Kingston, on Saturday to participate in the Kingston Book Festival 2012 Preview, put on by the Book Industry Association of Jamaica (BIAJ).
The event saw poets, illustrators, fiction and non-fiction authors seizing the opportunity to put their literary prowess on display at no cost whatsoever to those who turned out.
Among the big names who turned out were Diana McCaulay, author of the novel Dog Heart, Edward Seaga, author of My Life and Leadership: Volume 1 Clash of Ideologies (1930-1980) and Robert Lalah, author of the best-selling collection Roving with Lalah - Slices of Everyday Jamaican Life.
The event got under way with a two-hour workshop on children's book illustration, led by award-winning illustrator Aaron Boyd.
As the midday sun dimmed its rays to make way for the evening, one by one the story-tellers came in, each one taking turns at the podium, under the command of Amina Blackwood Meeks, the master of ceremony for the segment.
Intense laughter
There were moments of intense laughter that brought many to stitches, and others to deep reflection.
"Anything that brings us closer to books is good. There are a lot of things you can find in books that you just cannot find anywhere else," Phillipau Sautreli, one of the writers featured in the anthology So Much Things to Say, told The Gleaner.
"It was a wonderful experience for me. I think we need to focus more on our creative industry, because I believe we have so much to offer," creative industry consultant Donna-Marie Freckleton said.
Vice-chairman at the BIAJ, Kellie Magnus, said the event was just a bite of what is to come next year.
"We are planning a big one for next year and this is only a preview of what is to come. We want Jamaicans to be more aware of the books that are out there and, as such, we decided to stage the event," she said, adding that the association is examining the possibility of making it an annual event.