PRIZE OVERVIEW

The Jamaica Book Festival Young Writers’ Prize, launched in 2025, is a national initiative designed to discover, nurture, and celebrate emerging literary talent among Jamaican youth. The prize provides a platform for high school students to express themselves through poetry, fiction, and non-fiction, encouraging creative thinking, critical reflection, and a lifelong love of writing.

The Young Writers’ Prize is part of the Festival’s broader mission to build a strong knowledge culture and create meaningful opportunities for young people to share their voices. Through mentorship, recognition, and tangible awards, the programme supports the next generation of storytellers while highlighting the importance of literacy and creative expression in Jamaica’s development.

Each year, students from across the island submit original work in our poetry, fiction and non-fiction categories, with finalists and winners recognised at an official awards ceremony. The initiative continues to grow as a cornerstone of the Jamaica Book Festival’s commitment to youth empowerment through literature.