Growing Book Fairy Festival enchants readers

It’s the third staging of the Book Fairy Festival, and the fairies transformed The University of the West Indies Regional Headquarters into a book lovers’ oasis. True to the theme, attendees were ‘Lost in Wonderland’ from the very first night, when Shanique ‘Shanz the Book Fairy’ Sinclair, founder and curator of the Book Fairy Festival, hosted a live iteration of Friday Night Bookish Lyme to kick off the festival weekend last Friday.
The three-day literary wellness event featured a high-profile list of authors who took part in the various Purple Couch Chats on Saturday, including Roland Watson-Grant, Nicole Carr, Cleyvis Natera, Stephanie Hazle Lyle, Ebony LaDelle and Lizzie Damilola Blackburn.
The new venue drew positive responses from returning attendees and first-timers alike, with attendance reaching its highest level in the festival’s history. Sinclair, who, alongside her team, was intentional about creating a literary wellness festival that would accommodate readers, aspiring writers, and even those who had never participated in a literary event, said she was encouraged by the turnout. “Watching strangers become friends over books, seeing children completely immersed in bookish activities and hearing authors say that Jamaica embraced them in such a genuine way reminded me that The Book Fairy Festival has become so much more than an event. It has become a community built around storytelling, wellness, human connection and, above all, a return to self and the purpose of that self,” Sinclair shared.
Several featured authors proved to be crowd favourites, with strong book sales in the festival bookstore. Following his session, copies of Cebo Campbell’s Sky Full of Elephants sold out, while Asha Bromfield’s Hurricane Summer remained among the day’s strongest sellers.
Sharing her thoughts with Living on Jamaica’s appetite for fresh literary experiences and the increasing support the festival has received, Sinclair said, “Every year, we have seen growth, not only in attendance but in the level of engagement from readers, partners, volunteers and authors. It reinforces our belief that literature deserves a place in mainstream Jamaican culture and that there is a real appetite for experiences that celebrate Caribbean voices alongside international talent.”
Trinidad-born, United States-based author Justin Haynes, a featured author at this year’s Book Fairy Festival, shared the importance of events like this in helping Caribbean authors reach interested readers. “You give people a platform, and more readers can know what’s out there, because Caribbean people love to read. They love to read Caribbean books. They just have to know about the books,” Haynes shared.
With the festival’s offerings growing each year, there was always something exciting happening in Wonderland. Visitors were able to move between the various attractions. The Artisan Village featured the work of local creatives and their businesses. The Village remained busy throughout the day, with several local vendors selling out of their stock by the end of the festival.
The main stage hosted the Purple Couch Chats, where attendees heard from the featured Book Fairy Festival authors. Caribbean audiobook app Odiyo returned with a section where listeners could explore its growing library of regional audiobooks.
Leading conversations on publishing, business for the big screen, manhood, feelings and dealings in fiction, and dimensional storytelling, alongside bustling artisan stalls and enthusiastic young readers, this year’s Book Fairy Festival once again brought together creativity, passionate authors, literary enthusiasts and Jamaica’s creative culture under one roof.
The festival also catered to families, with children entertained by painting activities in the Wellness Lounge, which expanded the event’s offerings beyond literature.
Sinclair confirmed to Living that next year’s staging is already in the planning stages.
ruth-ann.briscoe@gleanerjm.com