Bookfusion:
Weeks ago I should have mentioned
BookFusion, an enterprise recently established by a young couple. They did a presentation at one of our coffee
mornings. It’s a space where you can buy Jamaican books (children’s; yes, children’s!) and it’s also
the digital library for books from the Ministry of Education. This is what we
always said we wanted and here we are dragging our feet again. Instead of
sending a hallelujah chorus (no disrespect especially at this time of year)
and taking advantage of it, we are wandering around and wondering what next to do.
(This is directed to myself as I am not having
the big writing weekend I planned. A
little bit devastating to find you have
all the time really and you’re still stuck
. . .)
Heaps of
Ministry books are on it, (you know the ones you can’t buy, because the
Ministry doesn’t sell books): Dr. Bird Reading Series, the Blue Mahoe (which
came after the Dr. Bird) for grades 7-9, and even Literacy 1-2-3, that great
series I managed and was so upset that they weren’t in all schools or available
for sale. Well they are there in all their splendour! And you can borrow for free. I was at a meeting with some educators (vague
enough for all to be unidentified) and I mentioned it, and someone was quite
astonished, said he had heard nothing about it, and looked it up immediately. Delighted!
I gather information had been sent out to all. However, I suppose sometimes
more than one messenger has to go out with
the news.
So please
look up BookFusion and pass the word around. Be another messenger. There are two sections,
one the digital library (please note this, all those schools that wanted access
to Literacy 1-2-3), and the other, the
bookstore. Below is a link to an article about BookFusion.
“Since its capital injection from First
Angels, the company has added Carlong Publishers, Blue Banyan Books, LMH
Publishing and a "few other local publishers" to its client list.”
(Quote from the article above)
This is a
link to the bookstore.
Lignum Vitae
Awards 2017: The next piece of news is that the Lignum Vitae Awards are on this
year. Please check the Jamaican Writers Society website. Entries for this year should be sent in by
June 30, 2017.
My dear
fellow writers, I know that you have been working on your story/novel since the
last awards in 2015, either because you
couldn’t finish the story for the 2015
competition, or you didn’t get shortlisted then, or you just got the idea to start it then when
you realized that maybe you could be just as good as some of those who won, or.
. . .
Talking Trees
Literary Fiesta is also on this year, May
27 at Treasure Beach. The last time I went it was beautiful. I wrote a story (first
draft) the next weekend as a result of all the inspiration and creativity I felt.
“The
Fiesta will feature poet and author, Olive Senior.
She will share the stage with the newly named Jamaican Poet Laureate Lorna
Goodison, who was the featured reader in 2015. Other readers include Malachi Smith,
Roland
Watson-Grant, Margaret Bernal, Ann-Margaret Lim, Yashika
Graham . . . . (quote from the Website.)
This promises to be wonderful.
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