Pamela Appelt, O.D, now retired, served 11 years on the bench as Judge of the Court of Canadian Citizenship and made history as the first African-Canadian woman to hold this position. Born in St. Mary Jamaica, Dr. Appelt studied microbiology and biochemistry in London, England before coming to Canada in 1966 to work as a researcher in medical biochemistry at McGill. Her academic achievements are many including a masters degree in Public Policy.

She has served on the Board of Directors of corporate and benevolent organizations, including United Way of Greater Toronto and was Co-Chair of Canada’s Jamaica-50 Celebrations. She is Vice president of Toronto’s Harbour Front Centre, the largest contemporary art centre in Canada, catering to 17 million visitors every year; with a 3,000 sq. ft. space dedicated to preserving the work and legacy of Jamaican cultural icon, the late Honourable Louise Bennett, popularly known across the British Caribbean as ‘Miss Lou’.

A great friend of Miss Lou, who entrusted to her the duties of executor of her estate, Pamela Appelt is an accomplished artist and her paintings have been exhibited in New York, Chicago and in Canada and Jamaica. As a patron of Palaver, Dr. Appelt has helped to guide the process of establishing what is expected to become, over time, Canada’s largest literary festival.

Copyright © M.S.L. JARRETT 2015-04-18

A writer and journalist for more than 40 years, Michael S. L. Jarrett is founder of the Palaver International Literary Festival. The premiere edition of his book, All In The Same Boat was published in November 2014. He is founder and editor of two international business magazines on the maritime industry and has been editor of a number of publications including an in­flight magazine for an international commercial airline. A graduate of the Mico University College in Jamaica, Mike holds a diploma in advanced journalism (print) from the International Institute for Journalism in Berlin, Germany. He holds national awards in public relations and a gold medal for amateur photography.

A special events planner with a long history of successful international initiatives, Mike was instrumental in developing concepts and a methodology for delivering the “No Fixed Address” public awareness initiative of the Interclinic Public Housing Workgroup (a team of legal clinic workers in Toronto, funded by Legal Aid Ontario) for the improvement of public housing in Toronto.

Copyright © M.S.L. JARRETT 2015-04-18

The many compliments and remarks of admiration about the designs which package the Palaver messages – the logo, this website and the promotional poster for the inaugural festival in 2015, and the posters portrait-awards – all celebrate the work of Maria Papaefstathiou.

Maria, graphic designer and illustrator, lives and works in Athens, Greece. A book designer at publishing house, Stamoulis Publications S.A. (www.stamoulis.gr), Maria has an impressive portfolio of exquisite artistic statements. She is from Greece but her artistic perspectives prove her to be a citizen of the world. Co-founder of the increasingly popular global event, the International Reggae Poster Contest, partnering with the great Jamaican artist and creative activist Michael Thompson, a.k.a. Freestylee, Maria has herself created some stunning poster designs. Her posters of notable Jamaican jazz pianist, Monty Alexander and, more recently, of Jamaican musician and legendary orchestra leader Carlos Malcolm set her apart.

She has participated and won awards in a number of international competitions. Her designs have been mounted in group exhibitions in South Korea, Jamaica, Athens and Thessaloniki in Greece, Mexico, Washington D.C., Spain, Turkey, Poland; and, her poster of Nelson Mandela was exhibited in South Africa in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Her 2014 poster for the Jamaican Fencing Federation, to assist the fund-raising efforts of that organization, is also special. As Mike Jarrett described it then: “Dramatic yet subtle, action-filled yet uncluttered.”

Maria’s special talent and her understanding of Caribbean cultural expression make her a valued member of the team of the Palaver International Literary Festival.
Website: www.itsjustme.net
Poster Shop: http://justmeshop.graphicart-news.com/

Copyright © M.S.L. JARRETT 2015-04-18

With more than 15 years professional experience in audio recording and a Recording Arts degree from Full Sail University in Orlando Florida, Michael Patrick Jarrett brings solid real world experience to Palaver. Prior to pursuing the Associate of Science Degree programme at Full Sail, Factor (as he is popularly known) worked at the famous Tuff Gong studios in Kingston, Jamaica. For more than a decade, Michael’s recording sessions at the famous Renaissance Recording Studio in Kingston, with some of the leading artistes in popular music, have produced several local and international hit singles and albums for chart toppers including Sean Paul. His work has been recognized by the Jamaican and international music community including ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers). ASCAP .recognized one of his recordings “We Be Burnin” by Sean Paul at its 32nd annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards on April 29, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.
Michael brings the highest level of audio recording professionalism to the Palaver International Literary Festival.

Copyright © M.S.L. JARRETT 2015-04-18

Jason Jarrett is Director of Photography for the Palaver International Literary Festival. A graduate in Broadcasting and Film (Centennial College) he has broad experience in both still and moving images and in live television broadcasting (CTV). Jason leads the team of photographers and videographers capturing images at Palaver.

Copyright © M.S.L. JARRETT 2015-04-18

Nick Caruso, head of TCP Management has performed to role of Palaver Site and Services manager since the inaugural event in 2015. His role has been supervision of the set-up, operations (including electricity generation), pull-down and clean-up of the beach site venue of the Palaver festival at Wasaga Beach Area 4, a task he and his team have effectively performed year after year. Indeed, Palaver has gained accolades from Ontario Parks for the pristine condition in which the festival site is left at the end of the event.

TCP Management is a property management company in Southern Georgian Bay. Under Nick Caruso’s leadership, it carries caretaker responsibility for a number of private properties in the region. The total value of properties in TCP Management’s year-round care runs into several millions of dollars. The fact that so many owners entrust their properties, large and small, to the care of Nick Caruso is testimony to the effectiveness, dependability and experience of TCP Management.

A loyal friend of the Palaver International Literary Festival and a valuable member of the Palaver team, Nick Caruso and his crew have freely volunteered time and energy to seeing that this annual Wasaga Beach event is effectively presented and that patrons are comfortable.