Dancehall in Print // Authors and Academia

It takes many moving pieces for dancehall reggae culture to evolve and continue to be innovative.

With varying levels of visibility, appeal, and entertainment value, each player has a crucial role in maintaining and sustaining the culture's history, current trajectory, and future impact.

THE MUSIC

The producers, musicians, selectors, songwriters, artists, and engineers.

THE INDUSTRY

The business managers, promoters, event organizers, record labels, streaming platforms, and distribution services.

THE CULTURE

Innovators like dancers and influencers.

THE SUPPORTERS

Investors, sponsors, organizations, media, bloggers, podcasters, and advocates.

Then there is the segment of support that exists IN PRINT: in theory, in classrooms and universities, and articles. The dancehall academia, thought leaders, professors, and authors.

For your reference, we have curated a list of dancehall books (non-fiction, children's, and fiction) from the last 25 years.

These texts support the culture by documenting history, analyzing trends and activities, and for communicating recommendations, success, ideologies, and other elements of the culture:

01. Jamaican Creole in Global Reggae and Dancehall Performances: Language Use, Perceptions, Attitudes — Anika Gerfer (2025)

02. Born a Sufferah: Dancehall Music's Insurgent Soundscapes — Quito Swan (2025)

03. The Art of Dancehall: Flyer and Poster Designs of Jamaican Dancehall Culture — Walshy Fire (2025)

04. The First Ladies of Dancehall — Irie Nation (2024)

05. Rebel Sounds: Music as Resistance — Joe Mulhall (2024)

06. Shenseea Biography: The Rise of a Dancehall Diva — Julio R. Davis (2024)

07. Dancehall DJs: The Best to Ever Do It — Michael Allen (2024)

08. Dancehall Rebel (teen fiction) — Stacey Robinson (2024)

09. Big Tune: Rise of the Dancehall Prince (children’s fiction) — Alliah L. Agostini and Shamar Knight-Justice (2023)

10. Dancehall Queen: Erotic Subversion/Subversión Erótica — Donna Hope (2023)

11. Cultural Capital To Financial Capital: Reggae-Dancehall — Donovan Watkis (2022)

12. Run The Riddim: The Untold Story of '90s Dancehall to the World — Marvin Sparks (2022)

13. The New Dancehall Playbook: The Business Side Of Dancehall — Mr Oxygen Muziq (2022)

14. Reading Religion and Spirituality in Jamaican Reggae Dancehall Dance: Spirit Bodies Moving — Patricia Noxolo (2022)

15. King Yellowman: Meaningful Bodies In Jamaican Dancehall Culture — Brent Hagerman (2021)

16. The Official Dancehall Dictionary — Chester Francis- Jackson (2021)

17. Dancehall Explosion: Les DJ et Singjays des années 1980 en Jamaïque — Eric Doumerc (2021)

18. LMH Official Dictionary of Jamaican Reggae and Dancehall Stars Volume 1 — K. Sean Harris and L. Mike Henry (2021)

19. The Small Axe Guide To Dancehall - 1979-1985 — Ray Hurford (2020)

20. Dancehall: A Reader on Jamaican Music and Culture — Sonjah Stanley Niaah (2020)

21. Back to Basics: A-Z of Dancehall (children’s non-fiction) — Latoya Wakefield and Kavion Robinson (2019)

22. Reggae Trilogy 200+ 80s & 90s Reggae & Dancehall Artist Headshots - Volume 1: Discover the Era's Unique Fashion, — M. Peggy Quattro, Scott SanGiacomo, et al. (2019)

23. King of the Dancehall: A Novel (fiction) — Nick Cannon (2018)

24. Dancehall Trivia Fun Time: The Ultimate Dancehall Music Trivia Book — Shaun Cain (2018)

25. In Fine Style: the Dancehall Art of Wilfred Limonious — Christopher Bateman (2016)

26. Serious Things a Go Happen: Three Decades of Jamaican Dancehall Signs — Maxine Walters (2016)

27. Dancing With Dancehall: Love and Dancehall — Shanan Mullings (2015)

28. Sounds of the Citizens: Dancehall and Community in Jamaica — Anne M. Galvin (2014)

29. Dancehall (fiction) — Anton Marks (2014)

30. Dance Hall Sound System: The Good, The Bad and The Ugliest — Lou Gooden (2014)

31. Analyzing the Jamaican Creole Continuum: A Pilot Study on Dancehall Music — Anja Zeisberg (2013)

32. Original Dancehall Dictionary: Talk like a Jamaican — Joan William (2013)

33. Babylon East: Performing Dancehall, Roots Reggae, and Rastafari in Japan — Marvin Sterling (2013)

34. Rub a Dub Style: The Roots of Modern Dancehall — Beth Lesser (2012)

35. Jamaican Dancehall: Misconceptions and Pedagogical Advantages — Owen Joseph (2012)

36. Man Vibes: Masculinities in Jamaican Dancehall — Donna P. Hope (2010)

37. Babylon East: Performing Dancehall, Roots Reggae, and Rastafari in Japan — Marvin Sterling (2010)

38. DanceHall: From Slave Ship to Ghetto (African and Diasporic Cultural Studies) — Sonjah Stanley Niaah (2010)

39. Dancehall: The Story of Jamaican Dancehall Culture — Beth Lesser (2008)

40. Inna di Dancehall: Popular Culture and The Politics of Identity in Jamaica — Donna P. Hope (2006)

41. Caribbean Popular Music: An Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall — David V. Moskowitz (2005)

42. Sound Clash: Jamaican Dancehall Culture at Large — Carolyn Cooper (2004)

43. Wake the Town and Tell the People: Dancehall Culture in Jamaica — Norman C. Stolzoff (2000)

44. Roots Rock Reggae: The Oral History of Reggae Music from Ska to Dancehall — Chuck Foste (1999)

45. Dancehall Explosion: Reggae Music into the Next Millenium — Henrik Baek, Hans Hedegard (1999)

To download a PDF version of the 3-page DANCEHALL IN PRINT booklist (sample below), visit the Jamaican Canadian Zone archive on the Kya Publishing website

For additions to the booklist or related inquiries, please contact jamaicancanadian@kyapublishing.com.