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National Library of Jamaica ushers in its 40th Anniversary with signature events

The National Library of Jamaica (NLJ) has had a busy month hosting two of its signature events: the 40th Anniversary Distinguished Lecture, held on Sunday, March 3, and its World Poetry Day, Jamaica Celebration, held on Thursday, March 21. Both events were held at the...
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In Celebration of Emancipation: A New Poem by Lorna Goodison, Poet Laureate of Jamaica

Lorna Goodison, the Poet Laureate of Jamaica, has penned a new composition to commemorate the country's 2017 Emancipation celebrations. Written in three voices, this new poem explores Emancipation and the experiences of slavery from the perspective of those who lived...
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Leaving a Lasting Legacy: A Tribute to Professor Emerita Daphne Rowena Douglas, CD

It was Maya Angelo who said, “If you are going to live, leave a legacy. Make a mark on the world that can’t be erased." These words resonate deeply when we reflect on the remarkable journey of Professor Emerita Daphne Rowena Douglas, CD, whose life embodied the...
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National Library of Jamaica launches new online resource ‘Index to Jamaican Poetry’

The National Library of Jamaica launched its newest online resource; Index to Jamaican Poetry on Friday, April 22, 2016. If you are searching for a Jamaican poem but you only know the author, title, or first line, then this Index to Jamaican Poetry will tell you in...
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From Jamaica to Johannesburg: Lorna Goodison speaks at African Women Writers Symposium

  On September 15, 2017, the Poet Laureate of Jamaica, Lorna Goodison, delivered the Nadine Gordimer Memorial Lecture at the 5th African Women International Writer's Symposium in Johannesburg, South Africa. During the symposium, Goodison also gave poetry...
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Our New Money! On the Anniversary of Changeover Day

On Monday September 8, 1969 (known as Changeover Day) Jamaica saw the introduction of five (5) coins that truly marked the beginning of Jamaican currency/coinage. After 149 years (1840) of using the currency of the United Kingdom, the island was finally getting ‘its...
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Ishion Hutchinson nominated for prestigious poetry award

Jamaican poet, Ishion Hutchinson has been nominated for the 2016 National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry. This nomination is for his second and latest collection, House of Lords and Commons; published last year by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Hutchinson is among...
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Lives Derailed: On the 60th Anniversary of the Kendal Train Crash

    In 1957, Norman Manley was Chief Minister, Alfred Hitchcock’s new thriller, Vertigo, had recently premiered at the Carib Cinema, and Radio Jamaica and Rediffusion filled the airwaves with programmes such as ‘Talent Parade’ and Alma Mock-Yen’s ‘Tea Time’....
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Our Favourite Reads: Chandra Smellie on ‘The Painted Canoe’ by Anthony Winkler

Library Assistant at the NLJ, Chandra Smellie, discusses her favourite read – ‘The Painted Canoe’ by Anthony Winkler.

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International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition

August 23 is marked as the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. August 1791 is also the anniversary of the start of the Haitian Revolution. The uprising of enslaved and free black men and women on the island of Saint-Dominique...
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