High Commission to Host Literary Afternoon in Camden

The Jamaican High Commission will host its second literary afternoon at the Waterlow Park in Camden, London, on Saturday, May 30.

The four featured writers are all UK-based and of Jamaican heritage. This will be Deanne Heron’s second appearance at the event, reading entertaining excerpts from ‘Pardner Money Stories’.

Born in Jamaica, Ms. Heron came to live in England in 1967, and trained as a counsellor and foster carer.  Her fictional stories are written in Standard English with Jamaican patois dialogue and take a whimsical look at the interactions of four generations of the extended Jamaican family in Britain.

One of the newcomers will be Jamaican-born Necola Hall, who served in the British army for more than nine years, and is a veteran of the Second Gulf War.  The recollections of her experiences in the military and of her tour of duty in war-torn Iraq make for an inspiring read.  ‘I Was a Soldier’ is the story of one woman’s life-changing journey from poverty in Jamaica to triumph over illness, and to the service of Queen and country.

Another writer, Norma Gregory, was born in Nottingham in 1969, the daughter of hardworking Jamaicans who moved to Nottingham in the early 1960s.  She has written ‘Jamaicans in Nottingham’, a unique collection of personal and reflective interviews and articles that present narratives of life in Nottingham, from individuals of Jamaican heritage who have contributed to the spirit and life of the city and its surrounding areas, from the 1940s to the present.

The other writer in Dave Neita, who is  the author of  ‘The Ultimate Love Collection of Love Poems PURE’, the sizzling spoken word album.  He has also written the book ‘Manuscript of a Scripture Man’.  Mr. Neita also runs a project that employs poetry as a vehicle for expression for users and carers within mental health services.

The event will also feature an ‘Open Mike’ section for budding writers, poets and singers to showcase their talent.

High Commissioner, Her Excellency Aloun Ndombet-Assamba, said the event is organised to showcase the rich diversity of the Jamaican culture.

“Everyone knows that Jamaicans can sing, everyone knows that we are good runners and athletes, but this event is to show and remind people that Jamaica also has a rich tradition in literature and the spoken word,” she said.

The literary event is described as a mini-Calabash, in reference to the international literary festival that is held biennially in St Elizabeth.

The event is sponsored by NBC Distribution Ltd, Hansib Publications, Sackville Travel, and the Jamaica Tourist Board.