The Jamaica Poetry Archive is an electronic collection of outstanding Jamaican poets reading their work. The Archive is housed at the National Library of Jamaica and is established under the Poet Laureate of Jamaica programme. The public can tune in to hear poets read their work, see the text of the poems they read, and learn more about our most accomplished poets through photographs and biographical information.
FAQ’s
Archives are the documentary by-product of human activity retained for their long-term value. They are contemporary records created by individuals and organisations as they go about their business and therefore provide a direct window on past events. They can come in a wide range of formats including written, photographic, moving image, sound, digital and analogue. Archives are held by public and private institutions and individuals around the world. (Source: https://www.ica.org/en/what-archive)
The Jamaica Poetry Archive is open to all kinds of poets; those of the written word, the spoken word, and performance-based poets. All poets that have a substantial body of work in print and/or recordings and have won critical acclaim in Jamaica and internationally can be considered.
The initial tranche of poets was selected based on nomination by the Jamaica Poetry Archive Committee at the National Library of Jamaica (NLJ). For future iterations, the NLJ will facilitate the creation of a longlist of poets by way of public nomination. Thereafter, a shortlist will be devised based on the Committee’s review of the poets’ biographies and their known bodies of work. Poets are finally selected for addition to the Archive by way of secret ballot voting by the Poet Laureate of Jamaica Committee.
Once a poet is selected and accepts the invitation, they are asked to submit audio recordings and text of their selected poems as well as their most up to date curriculum vitae, artist biography and professional photograph.
The Jamaica Poetry Archive intends to display the works of suitably qualified Jamaican poets despite their country of residence .
The minimum legal age of 18 years is observed by the Jamaica Poetry Archive as it concerns a formal agreement between the contributor and the Library the works and profiles of poets. However, as the Archive is meant to honour poets who have an outstanding body of work, the age range of poets included would reflect this.
The Jamaica Poetry Archive currently holds materials from living poets only. The JPA, however, will soon institute a Dead Poets subsection whereby previous recordings and information will be made available to the public.
Listeners may tune in to the Jamaica Poetry Archive using the link https://japoetryarchive.nlj.gov.jm/
Currently, there is no charge to the public to access the information held within the Jamaica Poetry Archive.