The Institute for Gender and Development Studies Mona Unit hosts the re-launch of the book, ‘Blood, Bullets and Bodies: Sexual Politics Below Jamaica’s Poverty Line’ on Monday, November 2, 2009 starting at 5 pm at the Multifunctional Room, Main Library, UWI, Mona. The re-launch will also feature a documentary showing titled, ‘Setting the Skin Tone’. The book and documentary are products of author, academic, video-documentalist and Development Consultant, Dr Imani Tafari- Ama. Dr. Carolyn Cooper Professor of Literary and Cultural Studies, Department of Literatures in English, UWI, Mona will officially review and re-launch the book.

‘Blood, Bullets and Bodies’ is a riveting exposé of sex, violence, political intrigue and survival in Jamaica that reveals the frightening reality of a self-destructing society. It tells a compelling story of the historical circumstances that have made crime and violence – bullets, blood and dead bodies – the number one problem in Jamaica in the late 20th and early 21st century.  It addresses themes such as sex for material gain as a survival strategy to cope with challenging socio-economic circumstances. It explore gender-relations between women and men noting that beyond being surrogate victims in conflicts between men, women’s bodies are also literal slates on which domination and resistance codes are written.

 “Setting the Skin Tone,” explores the contradictions of identity epitomized by the widespread practice of skin bleaching, mainly among Jamaica’s urban poor. 

The university community and the public are invited to the event. For further information please telephone 977 7365.