Author Bio
Joelle “Wendy” Cohen Wright is an author of four character-driven Jamaican sketch comedy books entitled, “A SOH WI DO IT!” “A SOH IT GOH”, “A SOH DEM GWAAN!” and “A SOH LIFE GOH!” Joelle was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica and from a very tender age, her stint in drama school fostered her love of writing and comedy. Joelle’s writing style has brought readers across the globe a good mix of satirical fun and entertainment that is sure to induce “laugh out loud” laughter through her storytelling abilities in Jamaican patois.
Ever the natural comedienne, she adds a fiery jolt of pure comic bliss to her series of characters and hilarious interpretations of Jamaican everyday life. She has also amassed several parodies and sketches spanning two decades – some becoming viral on social media.
How did you get into writing?
Since 1999 I have been writing comedy sketches where I “Jamaicanize” and satirize everything from folk stories to breaking news stories as a pastime and hobby. I had no intention in putting my sketches in book form, but the more folks read my sketches online, the more they pleaded for me to continue to write and post. Soon they were demanding books from me. I had to change my mindset and believe that I could contribute to the Jamaican culture in a meaningful way through literature. It was then I started composing writing material for my first book.
Is writing your full-time job?
No. My writing started as a hobby, and it is still a hobby. My fulltime job is with the US Government as a Program Analyst.
Where did you come up with the ideas for your books?
Because I have a passion for putting a Jamaican spin to everything, I thought the first title, “A Soh Wi Do It!” was fitting as it translates to “that’s how we do things.” Yes- Jamaicans are unique in everything they do and say, especially how things are expressed in patois (patwa). This gave birth to the concept of the books. When it comes to Jamaicans, they are natural comedians and entertainers in their everyday life. That made it very easy to develop the characters. However, to capture as many personalities as possible, I grouped the stories into four series to give the readers a wonderful mix of fiery, hilarious characters. By design, I pride myself in ensuring there is a lot of drama, quarrels, clashes, and side-splitting banter on every page, making putting down the books difficult to do once you turn the first page.
Do you have plans for other books?
I believe the four books are enough for now. I want to work to ensure the books are transferred to an established publishing company, so that they can live on, similar to the works of the honorable Louise Bennett-Coverley (“Miss Lou”). Upon request, I recently submitted copies of the books to National Library of Jamaica to join the comprehensive collection of Jamaican and West Indian authors. That I believe is a great start in getting them to national recognition in the literature genre.
My Review
This collection of stories from author Joelle Cohen Wright are hilarious sketches of Jamaican culture. I laughed out loud repeatedly as I read them all. I highly recommend them to anyone familiar with Jamaican culture and specifically to people who enjoy Jamaican patois. 5 enthusiastic stars!
