Kingston Writers Festival, September 22-25, 2011

I really enjoyed the Kingston Writers Festival which took me on an overnight trip to Kingston. I traveled by Via Rail, and was picked up by a nice lady who deposited me at the Holiday Inn where the festival was to be held. Everything about this festival was spic and span.I loved my hotel room and had a very good night's sleep. Throughout the next day of readings and panel discussions, I was very well treated in every sense of the word. I had my own host, a lovely lady, Carol MacDonnel who saw to my every need. She took me out to a lovely luncheon by the waterfront where I ordered gnocci, because I had read about it in Camilla Gibb's "Sweetness in the Belly". I just loved the walk along the water front where a naval boat was anchored for tours. Our Young Adult event was hosted by Susan Olding, herself a writer who did an awesome job connecting two books that were worlds apart. My panel partner was Y.S. Lee of the Agency series, another lovely and brilliant lady. Later that day I took a taxi some distance away to visit my good friend Rosemary for about an hour before I hurried back to catch my train for home. It was with pleasure that I found a memento in my woven Ghanaian scarf to give to my fantastic host, who assured me she would wear it. Indeed she wore it that very night to the J.M. Coetzee presentation, which was the highlight of the festival.