The Poetry Society of Jamaica will mark the start of its 27th anniversary with its monthly fellowship at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in Kingston this evening.
The occasion, dubbed ‘New Voices’, will focus on new and emerging writers Sean Harrison, Tara Downs and Avi Miller.
The society’s administrator, Yashika Graham explained how the three poets were selected.
“Throughout the past year, we have seen and heard the work of writers and poets, some of whom have never presented before. Our monthly fellowships are always a sharing experience, and so we key in on some of those persons who come to us to share their exceptional work and we pick from that pool for our start-of-year event. It must be noted that these persons are not the only ones doing great work, but they have certainly caught out ear and eye,” Graham told the Jamaica Observer.
She is encouraging others to come out and share in the experience.
“The monthly fellowships function primarily as live workshops that encourage the crafting and sharing of poems, and the engagement in frank, constructive discussions with the aim of improving on the writing output. So it’s entertainment with a classroom component.”
The Poetry Society’s monthly fellowships runs from January to November each year and are open to members as well as the wider public, all of whom are encouraged to partake in the vibrant open mic and discussions that form part of the fellowships’ signature.
For the 27th anniversary celebrations, Graham disclosed that a number of activities have been planned, including a musical guest for the February fellowship as it is Reggae month, The Dead Poets celebration in October, and the anniversary celebrations of the society in May.
