The PJ Patterson Institute for Africa-Caribbean Advocacy is set to unveil a groundbreaking literary work as it hosts the official launch of Dante’s Inferno: A New Translation by acclaimed Jamaican writer Lorna Goodison.
The event is scheduled for May 6, 2026, at the main library of the University of the West Indies Mona, where members of the academic, cultural, and diplomatic communities are expected to gather for what is being described as a landmark moment in Caribbean literature.
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More than two decades in the making, Goodison’s work reimagines Dante Alighieri’s 14th-century epic, Inferno, through a distinctly Caribbean lens. Moving away from traditional European translations, she renders the text in Jamaican-inflected English, blending the original narrative with the rhythms, expressions, and cultural references of the region.
The result is not simply a translation, but a reinterpretation, one that incorporates elements of Caribbean history, from slavery to reggae, while drawing on Rastafarian language and imagery to reshape the journey through the underworld.
The work has already attracted international acclaim. Poet Kit Fan has described it as “career-defining” and “epoch-making,” while it has also earned a nomination for the prestigious Governor General’s Literary Award for Poetry. Critics have noted its originality, with the Montreal Review of Books calling it “a fascinating work.”
In a particularly striking creative choice, Goodison casts Jamaican cultural icon Louise Bennett-Coverley, widely known as Miss Lou, in the role of Virgil, guiding the narrative through both the classical underworld and the layered histories of the Caribbean.
Goodison, who served as Jamaica’s poet laureate from 2017 to 2020, has long been celebrated for her contributions to literature. Her body of work spans poetry, essays, and memoir, earning her numerous honors, including the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry and the Order of Distinction.
The launch aligns closely with the mission of the institute, established under the patronage of former Prime Minister P. J. Patterson, to advance scholarship and creative expression rooted in African and Caribbean identity.
Attendees can expect readings, reflections from the author, and book signings, as well as an opportunity to engage with a work that is already being hailed as one of the most ambitious literary achievements to emerge from the Caribbean in recent years.
More than a reinterpretation of a classic, Goodison’s Inferno signals a bold cultural statement, one that places Caribbean voice and experience at the center of a global literary canon.
