Marlon James on why Kingston is Jamaica's beating cultural heart

Whether it’s parties, patties or patois, this Caribbean capital is a non-stop celebration, says the Booker Prize-winning author

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Where is your favourite destination and why?

I am going to advocate for Kingston. I lived there most of the time I was in Jamaica, and it’s still my favourite place. I think a lot of times when people come to Jamaica, they go straight for the beaches or for the coastline, and that’s great, but Kingston actually is on the coast. And the great thing about being in Kingston is that you're in a centre of culture. There's always something going on. There's Dub Club in the hills, if you want to get classic reggae; there’s always some sort of party going on.

When was the last time you were there, and who were you with?

I was last there a month ago, with me and my beautiful self. I was actually shooting a documentary about being an LGBT Jamaican coming back home. So that involved talking to a lot of young people, talking to people in different scenes and so on. I’m there quite a bit: for me, Jamaica will always be home.

Where do you like to stay there?

If I'm at a hotel, I'm usually in Treasure Beach. So I’m usually at Jakes. Or if I’m in Kingston, I’m usually at AC Hotel. If I want to be up in the hills, I go all the way up to Strawberry Hill.

What has been your favourite meal there?

Rasta pasta. Rastafarian culture was vegan before we had the name vegan. And I like Rasta food. It’s sort of a guilty pleasure, I think. How do you take fettuccine alfredo and take out all the nasty parts? I'm not the biggest fan of dairy. It’s kind of that.

What are your top restaurants?