Blog

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...

Farewell, Poet

Statement on the death of Sir Derek Walcott by Mrs. Winsome Hudson, National Librarian and CEO of the National Library of Jamaica So Derek Walcott, the poet is dead. But, Derek Walcott was not just any poet; he was the poet who unconditionally loved the people...

180 years of history for the National Library

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20160504/180-years-history-national-library

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...

#SummerReads: ‘Testing the Chains’ by Michael Craton

It's Summer! This is a time to unwind and get some much needed rest and relaxation. Whether you're spending your holidays at the beach, in the country, overseas, or just enjoying a relaxing 'stay-cation', you'll want to keep these #SummerReads close at hand....

Remembering Tom Redcam: Jamaica’s first Poet Laureate

In celebration of the birthday of Tom Redcam - 147 years ago today - we remember the legacy of Jamaica's first Poet Laureate. J.E.Clare McFarlane once wrote that 'any consideration of the poetry of Jamaica must, of necessity, begin with Tom Redcam'. Thomas...

Home At Last: The Anthony Winkler Archives at the National Library of Jamaica

The following speech was delivered by Dr. Kim Robinson-Walcott at the Presentation of the Anthony Winkler Archives to the National Library of Jamaica on April 6, 2017. Kim Robinson-Walcott, PhD, is editor/head of Caribbean Quarterly, University of...

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...

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...

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’....

Unlocking History: Unlocking History: Barry Wade’s Landmark Thesis Goes Digital!

by hbowman | Aug 18, 2025 | 12 East Street, Collection, News

The National Library of Jamaica (NLJ) proudly announces the digital release of a scientific treasure: “Study on the Biology of the Beach Clam, Donax (Bivalvia, Donacidae) in the West Indies” by renowned researcher Barry Wade (June 1965). For the first time, this...

Leaving a Lasting Legacy: A Tribute to Professor Emerita Daphne Rowena Douglas, CD

by hbowman | Jul 17, 2024 | 12 East Street, Jamaican Biographies

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...

Jamaica’s Poet Laureate Deepens Cultural Connections in the UK.

by Jaleel James | Dec 5, 2022 | Poet Laureate News

Poet Laureate of Jamaica, Dr. Olive Senior was a primary-featured poet opening the five days long, “Out of Many Lit Festival”, produced by the Jamaica Society Leeds in the United Kingdom. This diaspora celebration of Jamaica’s diamond Jubilee saw Senior sharing the...

World Poetry Day Jamaica Celebrated in Fine Style

by Delano Jarrett | Apr 11, 2022 | 12 East Street

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...

by Delmark Thompson | Dec 13, 2019 | Uncategorized

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

by Delmark Thompson | Apr 9, 2019 | 12 East Street, Poet Laureate News

10 Captivating Jamaican Love Stories

by Delmark Thompson | Dec 19, 2017 | 12 East Street, Culture

In this season of love, we’re taking a look at 10 of Jamaica’s most captivating love stories. These stories of triumphant love gripped the nation and became indelibly entwined in the country’s social history and lore.

From Jamaica to Johannesburg: Lorna Goodison speaks at African Women Writers Symposium

by Delmark Thompson | Oct 3, 2017 | 12 East Street, Literature and Poetry, Poet Laureate News

Our New Money! On the Anniversary of Changeover Day

by Delmark Thompson | Sep 8, 2017 | 12 East Street, History

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...