Widely acclaimed poet, Professor Kwame Dawes, has been appointed Poet Laureate of Jamaica for 2025 to 2028. In the ceremony of investiture, held at King’s House on Wednesday (January 22), he was bestowed with the insignia by Deputy Governor-General, Hon. Steadman Fuller. Professor Dawes is the fourth Poet Laureate in post-Independent Jamaica, succeeding prolific poet, Olive Senior; accomplished author, Lorna...

An investiture ceremony will be held for Jamaica’s newly appointed Poet Laureate, Professor Kwame Dawes, at King’s House on Wednesday (January 22), beginning 10:00 a.m. The ceremony is being organised by the National Library of Jamaica (NLJ), a division of the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Olivia Grange, Deputy Governor-General, Hon. Steadman Fuller, and Professor...

The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, has said that the US President, Joe Biden, did “the right and honourable thing” when he used his clemency power to pardon, posthumously, the Right Excellent Marcus Garvey. Minister Grange says President Biden’s “historic pardon is a most significant step in a process which must continue until the National Hero...

The deadline for the submission of applications for the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Competition is midnight on March 14, 2025. Applications for the competition can be submitted online at https://jcdc.awardsplatform.com/. The Festival Queen Competition, which forms part of the Emancipation and Independence celebrations, is organised by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC). The competition begins with eliminations at the parish...

The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) is reminding prospective performers for the 2025 National Performing Arts Festival that the deadline for entries is this Friday, January 10 at midnight. The JCDC had originally set the deadline for Friday, December 13, 2024, but extended it to give participants more time to navigate the Commission’s new automated application platform, JCDC Awards Force....

A ceremony to honour the life and legacy of National Hero the Right Excellent Samuel Sharpe for his role in the historic Emancipation War of 1831-1832 was held in Catadupa, St. James, the parish of his birth, on December 27. The event was designated Sam Sharpe Day Celebrations, held in collaboration with the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) and the...

The criteria for the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Competition have been updated to make the annual pageant, a key part of the Emancipation and Independence celebrations, more inclusive. These changes will provide more young women with the opportunity to represent their community, parish, and the nation. Traditionally, the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) organizes the Festival Queen competition for young...