Kingston 6/7 JA Travel Blog

If you are a tourist or visitor interested in books and literature, then there is a biennial book festival in Kingston, Jamaica that maybe of interest. The Kingston Book Festival is a Kingston-based weeklong event celebrating local books, authors, and writing. So in addition to consuming Jamaican music and food, consider the festival to feed your mind with Jamaican stories and books. As the poetic Cooke (2018) puts it, "Reggae Month ends and the multiple day Kingston Book Festival begins, the throb of drum and bass succeeded by the rustling of pages." So I went to check out the final day of the festival that featured a book fair which for 2018 was held at Hope Gardens. I must confess that I am not much of a picture-taking person and prefer to just experience the moment rather than document it as I experience it. Hence, for Kingston Book Festival 2018, I was too engrossed in conversation at the different booths and viewing the books available that I forgot all about ...

In February, the birth month of Robert Nesta Marley, there is another reason to visit Kingston city. Let us say that you are the type of tourist interested in more than just entertainment and want to venture into an inspiring and intellectual space to see the research and innovation being undertaken within Jamaica. So apart from listening to music and entertainment, perhaps you want to talk with some bright minds and young academics within this developing country to find out what problems they are studying and trying to address. Or you are simply interested in learning more about the university and its technological and research output and contribution to the region? Well, Kingston is definitely the place to be and early February is the month to visit Jamaica. Discovering one of the leading research university on the island, the Universty of the West Indies, Mona Campus, should be one of your priorities. For free of cost (minus your travel expenses), you can attend the many ev...