The Jamaica Library Service (JLS), on Thursday (August 27), crowned five champions in the 2026 National Reading Competition, with two of the top readers coming from Portland.
They are Liam Williams of Portland (six to eight age group), Yash Makhijani of St. James (nine to 11 age group), Yendi Burke of Portland (12 to 14 age group), Haley Clarke of Trelawny (15 to 20 age group), who also emerged as the overall winner, and Sashana Campbell of St. Mary (21 and older age group).
The awards ceremony, held at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston, honoured the champions, runners-up and sectional winners with cash prizes, trophies, books, laptops, and other gifts. The combined value of the prize packages ranged from $144,000 to $250,000.
JLS Director General, Maureen Thompson, said the competition was held against the backdrop of the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, which impacted Jamaica in October 2025.
“That presented a very significant challenge for the Jamaica Library Service. Forty-three of our libraries were affected, some sustaining severe damage and others experienced total loss. We totally lost the St. Elizabeth Parish Library,” she said.
The JLS’s operations have been reduced from 109 to 85 library locations across the island.
A record 7,700 readers participated in the competition’s 38th staging this year, which was held under the theme ‘Together We Read, Together We Rise’.
Ms. Thompson said this represents a 37.5 per cent increase in participation compared with last year.
“Against the challenges we faced, the achievement of this increase powerfully speaks to the resilience of the Jamaica Library Service, the commitment of our staff and, most importantly, the continued desire of Jamaicans to participate in the National Reading Competition,” she further stated.
For the second consecutive year, the St. Mary Parish Library Network recorded the highest number of entrants, registering 1,322 participants.
The Portland Parish Library Network recorded the highest overall score in the competition.
During the awards presentations, St. Mary parish champion in the six to eight age category, Caleb Brown, received the sectional award for Best Letter.
St. James parish champion, Yash Makhijani, distinguished himself in the nine to 11 age category, earning sectional awards for both Best Story Ending and Best Book Review.
In the 12 to 14 age category, Yendi Burke of Portland received the sectional award for Best Story Ending, while Shajai Jones of St. Elizabeth was recognised for Best Book Review.
Sectional awards for Best Poetry Analysis were presented to Haley Clarke of Trelawny in the 15 to 20 age category and Marsha-Lee Mundle of Portland in the 21 and over category.
Prizes for Best Book Review were awarded to Jade Martin of Kingston and St. Andrew in the 15 to 20 age category and Marsha-Lee Mundle.
Meanwhile, Daniel Kerr of St. Catherine (six to eight age category), She Yah Samuels of Trelawny (nine to 11 age category), Jordan Thomas of Trelawny (12 to 14 age category) and Rozanna Stewart of Westmoreland (15 to 20 age category) won the VM Foundation’s Financial Literacy Challenge in their respective age groups.
A flagship initiative of the JLS, the National Reading Competition seeks to foster a strong reading culture and advance Jamaica’s literacy objectives.
