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PEMBROKE PINES – This year’s 3rd Annual Jamaica Brew Literary and Film Festival, hosted by the Consulate of Jamaica in Miami, will highlight several captivating elements at the Broward County South West Regional Library in Pembroke Pines on Saturday, January 31.
The event starts at 9:00 am, featuring complimentary Blue Mountain coffee. There will also be book signings and sales by a diverse group of skilled authors and poets showcasing their work.
Throughout the day there will be special presentations. At 5:00 pm, the curtains will be drawn following two hours of short films being shown.
Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Day
The event, in recognition of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Day on January 9, was also created, says Consul General Oliver Mair, ‘to celebrate our creative industries, specifically our writers and filmmakers.’ ‘It’s an event, ‘he says, ‘that’s a platform to tell our stories to the world – about our worth and who we are as a people.’
Children’s Corner
New, will be a Children’s Corner of adopted Ring-Ding game and cultural activities of our revered icon, the late Louise Bennett Coverly, Miss Lou. This will be staged in an area that will also highlight exhibitions by upcoming artists.
A day, as always, of festive poetry and prose, there will be the usual topical panel discussions.
One of the unique showcases will be a theatrical reveal of the acronym Brew. Each letter is paired with descriptive words that emphasize what’s in store at the event. This will take place at the beginning of the presentations at 10:00 am.
Jamaica’s Resilience
Between the segments, there will be videos showing stories of resilience. One story is about Jamaica recovering from hurricane Melissa. It shares how people are putting their lives back together. The story of author and farmer Keith Wedderburn will also be featured. This comes from his latest book, “Give Thanks For Life: Surviving Hurricane Melissa.”
Malachi Smith, a well-known dub poet, will lead the talk on resilience after hurricane Melissa. He is the founder of the Jamaica Poets Nomadic College and School Tour. Malachi will share stories from the 8th annual tour to Jamaica last December. This tour was first postponed in November. He visited several schools in the areas hardest hit by the hurricane.
Prelude to Black History Month
Given the event serving as curtain raiser to Black History Month, and the accompanying cultural reflections, special presentations will also mark a closer look at Alexander Bedward. These will focus on his efforts at forming the Jamaica Native free Baptist Church.
It challenged the Colonial order and the established churches which were losing their membership to Bedwardism. In an effort to get rid of him, he was portrayed and eventually certified as a madman who thought he could fly.
It was all that was manipulative by the state, some contend, and the Talawah Mento Band and Jamaican Folk Revue will be performing pieces from their upcoming musical Bedward as part of a closer look at these intriguing developments.
The short film 2-hour segment, as special tribute, will highlight the life of the legendary Jimmy Cliff.
The festival will feature a range of multifaceted authors and poets, including Sharon Gordon – author, actress, producer and media personality.
The winner of the 2025 4th annual storytelling competition What’s Your Story Jamaica, her self-narrated audio book Sheribaby has achieved the milestone of being the first audiobook in Jamaican dialect to receive Grammy consideration.
Among those also appearing at the 2026 Jamaica Brew are Kacy Garvey, Richard Blackford, Simone Russell, multilingual storyteller Raul ‘Blaze’ Davis, attorney Kaysia Earley, journalist and marketer Curtis Myrie, Oberlene Smith Whyte, Dr Aza Weir-Soley and leading communications specialist Gail Abrahams with her first publication, Heels, Hustle, HEART – Claiming your seat without losing yourself…a powerful and honest guide for women navigating the corporate life while staying true to themselves.
Admission is free to the public, but registration is required at jamaicabrew2026.eventbrite.com where inquiries may also be made.
It’s indeed a platform to tell our stories – in sharing all what’s brewing…
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