Book Fairy Festival to return bigger this July

As the annual Book Fairy Festival prepares for its latest staging from July 3 to 5, it promises to be a must-attend event for book lovers across Jamaica. Book Fairy Festival founder and curator Shanique ‘Shanz the Book Fairy’ Sinclair told Living that the festival will be held at The University of the West Indies (UWI) Regional Headquarters.

Following the recent announcement, anticipation has begun to build among literary enthusiasts, both locally and overseas. Sinclair describes the festival as an experience designed to feel like “stepping into a storybook come to life”, where attendees can expect immersive literary encounters, intimate author and special guest conversations, creative workshops, live performances and curated spaces celebrating imagination in its many forms.

“[The Book Fairy Festival is] creating opportunities for connection where readers and non-readers can meet the minds behind the stories, patrons can discover their own voices, and creativity becomes something tangible and heartfelt,” Sinclair said.

HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS

While each year builds on the last, this staging is expected to introduce adjustments that reflect the festival’s steady growth and evolving community. “We are introducing more hands-on workshops, cross-disciplinary collaborations between writers and creatives from other industries and spaces intentionally designed to encourage dialogue, community and self-empowerment. We are watching The Book Fairy Festival evolve into a cultural ecosystem, not just a gathering.”

The festival will also be returning with its staple experiences, including an Artisan Village, Purple Couch Chats, Dimensional Storytelling, Fairy Simulator, and the Wellness Lounge with its activities. Also highly requested is the Children’s Village, which will be making its return.

Sinclair told Living that new partnerships will help broaden the festival’s impact beyond literature.

“We are especially excited about new partnerships that are allowing us to broaden the festival’s impact beyond literature alone,” Sinclair said. “These collaborations will help us introduce wellness-centred creative sessions, industry conversations that bridge literature with music, film and entrepreneurship and more opportunities for meaningful audience participation.”

At its core, the festival is designed as a multi-generational space. Children discovering books for the first time, teenagers navigating identity through literature, and adults rediscovering the pleasure of reading are all part of the audience Sinclair hopes to reach. The festival is structured to ensure first-time attendees feel welcomed while returning participants encounter something fresh. For first-time attendees, Sinclair is focused on creating accessible entry points that make literature feel exciting and relevant. Returning participants, meanwhile, can expect deeper engagement through expanded curation, new voices and more opportunities for meaningful connection. The intention, Sinclair said, is for every participant to leave feeling healed, inspired and creatively reawakened.

The response since announcing the dates has reflected that growing reach. According to Sinclair, “people have expressed genuine enthusiasm not just for the festival itself, but for what it represents, which is a space where wellness, storytelling and cultural expression are celebrated in a meaningful way. It reinforces that there is a real hunger for spaces that nurture imagination and culturally creative connection,” she shared.

ruth-ann.briscoe@gleanerjm.com

Lit this week - literary events to keep you booked and busy.

Saturday, February 28

Jamaica Book Festival Africa Caribbean Literary Exchange

Confucius Institute, The University of the West Indies, Mona campus.

Sessions include:

9 – 11 a.m.

Books for Breakfast

(Registration required).

10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

The Imagination Room by Kozy Korner Books N More

Featuring Bright Eyed, Ntukuma – The Storytelling Foundation of Jamaica and Blue Banyan Books

(Registration required.)

10:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

Pathways to Publishing: Writing and creating content for children and young adults.

Featuring Amina Blackwood Meeks, Tanya Batson-Savage, Jeunanne Alkins

Moderated by Dr Aisha Spencer.

1 p.m. - 1:10 p.m.

Book Chat: Cultural Economy and Television

Featuring Deborah Hickling Gordon

2:05 p.m. – 2:35 p.m.

Books & Bredren

What’s the state of reading among men and boys?

Moderated by Joel Nomdarkham with panellists including Jordan Barrett and Kaleb D’Aguilar.