Jasmaine Payne is a Guyanese author, editor, and writing coach whose debut novel Leech (2025) cements her place as the first female Guyanese writer residing in Guyana to publish a full-length psychological thriller. A lifelong storyteller, Jasmaine began writing novel-length fiction in high school and published her first poem at age 11, winning UNICEF’s Environmental Awareness Poetry Competition in 1999. She holds a BA in English from the University of London (Goldsmiths) and an MBA in Marketing from the University of Bedfordshire. With 15 years of journalism experience and over 8 years as a professional editor, Jasmaine’s work has appeared in GEM Magazine, Lady Magazine, Guyana at 50, and 50 Women 50 Years. In 2025, she received the Influential Women Leaders Award and continues to train and mentor writers across the region.
