On Monday, March 21, 2022, the National Library of Jamaica (NLJ) hosted their annual “World Poetry Day Jamaica” celebration at The Jamaica Pegasus Hotel. The event saw the announcement of the 2022 cycle of the Jamaica Poet Laureate Prizes for Poetry (National Poetry Competition) and the launch of the Jamaica Poetry Archive (JPA). The central activities were decorated with exciting performances and diplomatic remarks.
Poet Laureate of Jamaica, Ms. Olive Senior, spoke on the concept and execution of the Jamaica Poetry Archive. She says, “this electronic archive of Jamaican poetry will be a repository of primary material that can be consulted by the public on the Jamaica Poetry Archive website.” As a member of the diaspora herself, Senior stated that “the aim is to bring our poets home and into our hearts, not simply as words on a page but within speaking distance… whether they reside in Jamaica, Canada, the USA, the UK or elsewhere.”
Olive Senior, Poet Laureate of Jamaica, offering her remarks.
Pointing out that the Archive is currently beginning with a limited number of poets’ readings, she assured audiences that the project will develop over time. Senior stated, “This is a project meant to grow, with the addition of a new cadre of poets each year…and expansion in many other ways such as we hope, the inclusion of recordings by dead poets.” She added that by the end of the year, the Archive will see the second set of poets being selected in time for the next world Poetry Day, March 2023.
Minister of State, The Honourable Alando Terrelonge, MP, Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, proclaimed both programmes open and available to the public. In his speech, the minister explained how the JPA will serve the nation. He said, “this will serve as the standard-bearer of Jamaican creativity and oral culture.”
Minister Terrelonge also expressed how the Poet Laureate Prizes for Poetry have allowed young writers to quantifiably hone their craft. He said, “Participation has stimulated the production of material, young writers being offered published work for the first time, and many receiving financial contributions and awards for their creative materials.”
For the competition, Jamaicans islandwide will submit original poetry pieces which will be judged by a panel of distinguished poets. Participants will get a chance to win a cash prize of one thousand (1000) USD from the following divisional prizes:
- The Edward Baugh Prize for eastern parishes
- The Louise Bennett Coverley Prize for central Jamaica
- The Michael Cook Prize for people of Western parishes
- The Poet Laureate of Jamaica Young Writer’s Prize – open category
WATCH THE WORLD POETRY DAY CELEBRATION HERE: https://youtu.be/oWEtd4fRZ9I?t=487
Sample image, Jamaica Poetry Archive.
From L-R: Isabel Viera, Advisor, Communication and Information, UNESCO Cluster Office for the Caribbean, Emina Tudakovic, Canadian High Commissioner, Joy Douglas, OD, Chairman, Board of Management, NLJ, The Hon. Alando Terrelonge, MP, Minister of State, Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olive Senior, Poet Laureate
of Jamaica, Beverley Lashley, National Librarian, NLJ and Badewole Adebowale, Minister Counsellor, Nigerian High Commission.