The Story of Jamaican Literature

Marcus Garvey once said that “a reading man is a ready man but a writing man is exact.” This is true, for the written word has the ability to cut through souls and touch hearts. For those amongst mankind who have been given the gift of words, we are grateful. They have shared that gift with the rest of us for us to enjoy and savour. Many of Jamaica’s sons and daughters have been born with this gift of words and have used their pens to explore in exact terms the reality which is theirs and that of so many others. Some of the outstanding Jamaicans who have touched generations of people with their words include Claude McKay, Andrew Salkey, C. Everard Palmer, Roger Mais, Louise Bennett, Trevor Rhone and Lorna Goodison.

Being a country born from the forced marriage of two separate civilizations, Jamaica has two separate languages. This creates a problem for many Jamaican writers because they have to decide whether they should write in standard English or local patois. Standard English, is universally better understood and accepted, however locally spoken patois is so distinctly Jamaican that it cannot be ignored. Some writers have managed to present both in their works by writing in standard English but using Jamaican phrases and sayings that bring that unique Jamaican essence. Louise Bennett-Coverly and Joan Andrea Hutchinson are two such writers. While Jamaica has produced some of the best known writers the scenic beauty and serenity have given others a voice Ian Fleming writer of the famous James Bond novels wrote the series at his Golden Eye home in Jamaica.