Culture will be at the centre of Jamaica Poetry Festival 2025
Jamaica Poetry Festival (JPF) 2025 will place culture at the centre of its 15th edition, to be held at the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech) on August 10. Hosted by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission, it will bring the soul of Jamaica to life through poetry, music, and communal pride.
The premier cultural event which continues to grow in momentum will celebrate the “Feast of Poetree,” and the island’s literary heritage through hosting seasoned poets, spoken word artists, and poetry enthusiasts. Since its inception in 2011, JPF originally launched as the National Feast of Poetree to mark Jamaica’s 50th Independence Anniversary, has grown into a cornerstone of the island’s cultural identity.
Conceived by Yasus Afari through his SenYAcum Edutainment Promotion and presented in partnership with the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), the festival was held for the first time in Louise Bennett Garden Theatre in Kingston. This iconic venue hosted the event for a decade, setting the stage for a vibrant celebration of Jamaica’s literary soul.
“Over the decade and a half, Jamaica Poetry Festival has presented some iconic legends, some of whom are: Skip Marley (Grandson of Bob Marley), Monty Alexander, Prof Mervyn Morris, Mutabaruka, Prof Edward Baugh, Linton “Kwesi” Johnson, Lorna Goodison, Dr. Olive Senior, Jean “Binta Breeze, Prof Clinton Hutton, Prod Carolyn Cooper, Ernie Ranglin, Prod Fred Hickling, George Elliott Clarke, Sean Paul and Yasus fari, among numerous others,” said the event’s organisers.
Over the years, the festival has embraced new spaces, adapting to the evolving needs of its audience while preserving its essence. In 2020, it found a home at the Television Jamaica (TVJ) Studio, followed by the Public Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica (PBCJ) Studio in 2021.
The AC Marriott in Kingston welcomed the event in 2022, before a return to the Louise Bennett Garden Theatre in 2023. In 2024, the festival took root at the UTech, a venue rich with personal significance for Yasus Afari, where, as a revered student leader, he staged his first production and delivered his inaugural poetry performance.
JPF has made a series of groundbreaking achievements, pioneering the first live poetry broadcast on both radio and television in Jamaica, through IRIE FM and TVJ. In 2020, marking its momentous 10th anniversary, the festival transcended borders, uniting voices from ten nations in a global celebration of verse. Poets from Botswana, South Korea, Iran, Canada, the United States, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Trinidad, and Barbados.
This year, JPF will once again unfold at UTech, promising to honour Afari’s legacy while continuing to elevate the voices that define Jamaica’s poetic heritage. The event will feature Creative Arts Workshops for the entire family from 10am–2pm, Sports and Arts from 2pm-4pm, Visions of Hope Charity Dinner from 4pm-6pm and the main event, JPF Feast of Poetree from 7pm–10pm.
Oral Ofori is Founder and Publisher at www.TheAfricanDream.net, a digital storyteller and producer, and also an information and research consultant.
