From October–December 2021, McKenzie was in residence at Studio Voltaire. During this period, she explored what happened to the environment of Jamaica during British colonisation of the island, beginning in the 17th century.
McKenzie has compiled a rich variety of resources in this interactive website, ranging from archival photographs and newspaper clippings, plantation maps, historic artefacts and contemporary accounts of the lasting impact and legacies of Jamaica's colonial history.
Zakiya McKenzie was born in South London, raised in Kingston and now lives in the southwest of England. In 2019 she was Writer in Residence for Forestry England and, at Ujima 98FM in Bristol, she was a Black and Green Ambassador in 2017. McKenzie is a PhD candidate at the University of Exeter with the Caribbean Literary Heritage project, researching Black British journalism in the post–war period.Testimonies on the History of Jamaica Volume 1 is available from Rough Trade Books.
Zakiya McKenzie, Testimonies on the History of Jamaica website, 2022
