Registration for the much anticipated Jamaica Library Service National Reading Competition 2021, which is being held under the theme “Stay Connected and Read”, is officially open. Persons interested are encouraged to register online at www.jls.gov.jm/nrc.
Though this year’s competition will be executed a bit differently due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it promises to be an exciting, engaging event.
According to Director General Maureen Thompson, “the Jamaica Library Service is pleased to host the National Reading Competition, which is not only a signature event for the organization, but a wholesome programme for all members of the family to participate in and enjoy.”
High notes to end Bocas Lit Fest evenings
Mervyn Morris -
Despite continued restrictions on gatherings, the 2021 NGC Bocas Lit Fest will stay true to its usual social and cultural evening fare in its 2021 all-virtual festival.
The three festival days – April 23-25 – all close with engaging celebrations of music, Caribbean literature, and prize-winners’ announcements.
After a decade of annual literary celebration, festival-goers have become accustomed to nightly wrap-up sessions fitting of the largest literary festival in the Caribbean, and this year will be no exception, albeit in virtual form, said a media release from the NGC Bocas Lit Fest.
Edward Baugh -
When it comes to Jamaica’s cultural legacy, music looms large, but the island also possesses a rich literary history that spans generations, and is now reaching an international audience.
When I think of some of Jamaica‘s historic literary figures people like Claude McKay, the poet who found success during the Harlem Renaissance; Louise Bennett-Coverley, the folklorist affectionately called Miss Lou who became known for her use of Jamaican patois in the 1960s and 70s; or Ian Fleming, the Englishman who wrote all 14 of his James Bond books from his home in Oracabessa I wonder if they could have ever imagined a time like this. I wonder if they could have imagined that readers from around the world would come to the island to celebrate Jamaican literature in all its forms.
The Sun’s Eye , arranged by Anne Walmsley, is a beautiful compilation of poetry and excerpts from classic West Indian novels, that bears witness to the evolution of life in the Caribbean, from the 1900’s to present day. Reading this collection transported me to my childhood, listening to stories on my grandmother’s lap, about when she was a little girl in St Mary. Reader be warned: the nostalgia is intoxicating!
Some stories like ‘An Honest Thief’ by Timothy Callender, left me rolling with laughter, as the two ‘bad men’ in the village went to war over a hand of ripe bananas, while other poems, like ‘Case-History Jamaica’ by Mervyn Morris, in only 17 lines, succinctly explained the impossible task black children face, seeking their identity in post-colonialized Jamaica.
Fear ageism, not aging : How an ageist society is failing its elders
IDEAS producer Mary Lynk explores what is the purpose of a long life? Traditional cultures often place older people at the top of social hierarchy, but in modern Western societies there s been a profound loss of meaning and vital social roles for older adults. What happened? And what role can we reimagine for older people now?
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CBC Radio ·
Posted: Apr 07, 2021 6:33 PM ET | Last Updated: April 7
In Canada, 81 per cent of all COVID deaths occurred in long-term care. Age critic and theorist Margaret Morganroth Gullette calls what happened eldercide. (Andrew Lee/CBC)