Bocas Book Bulletin: December 2020
A monthly roundup of Caribbean literary news, curated by the NGC Bocas Lit Fest and published in the Sunday Express. New Releases The latest novel from France-based Jamaican writer Alecia McKenzie, A Million Aunties (Blouse & Skirt Books/Akashic) follows an American-born artist as he travels back to Jamaica, his mother’s home island, in the aftermath […]
Short Story Challenge Winners Announced!
Eleven-year old Josse Franco and eight-year old Josh Hansraj top their categories in Dragonzilla’s Short Story Writing Challenge to win brand new laptops, courtesy the NGC Children’s Bocas Lit Fest! Hansraj and Franco were among 22 finalists – 11 in each age group, 5-8 and 9-12 – who advanced to the second round of the […]
TT Writers on the Costa Book Awards Shortlist
The recent announcement that two Trinidad and Tobago writers Monique Roffey and Ingrid Persaud have been shortlisted for the 2020 Costa Book Awards rounds off an impressive year for TT and Caribbean writers and writing on the world stage. Monique Roffey’s sixth novel The Mermaid of Black Conch (Peepal Tree Press), has been shortlisted for […]
Bocas Book Bulletin: November 2020
A monthly roundup of Caribbean literary news, curated by the NGC Bocas Lit Fest and published in the Sunday Express. New Releases The third book of fiction by Trinidadian Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw, Stick No Bills (Peepal Tree Press) is a collection of twenty-two short stories which elegantly and artfully explore personal and family histories, pleasure and […]
What’s so great about Jean Rhys?: Online Event
For one thing, there is the first line of the Dominican author’s seminal work Wide Sargasso Sea: “They say when trouble comes close ranks, and so the white people did”, which, beyond making it to a 2006 list of 100 best first lines from novels, resonates eerily amidst the turbulence of the current socio-political climate. […]
Announcing the finalists of Dragonzilla’s Short Story Writing Challenge
Twenty-two youngsters have moved onto the second phase of Dragonzilla’s Short Story Writing Challenge, and now have a great chance at winning one of many wonderful and useful prizes! Over 100 children aged 5-12 shared their 300-400 word story on the theme “My COVID experience in Trinidad and Tobago” for the online Storywriting Challenge that […]
“How To” workshop series: Nov 12 + Nov 19
On Thursday 12 November, we’re hosting the first of two interactive online workshops with St Kitts & Nevis-born author Carol Mitchell, guiding participants through the fundamentals of writing dialogue and point of view. In the second on Thursday 19 November, Mitchell shares insights for spotting and addressing common errors in participants’ manuscripts. Both workshops are […]
Bios & Bookmarks is back for Season 3
Bios & Bookmarks Season 3 starts on Sunday 1 November! Join us for a riveting third season that kicks off this Sunday, with St. Lucian poet Canisia Lubrin. Her second collection of poems, The Dyzgraphxst (McClelland & Stewart) has been described as “a triumph of anticolonial poetics” by 2017 OCM Bocas Poetry Prize winner, Safiya Sinclair. Sunday […]
Announcing LIT’S BE REAL, a new online series from the NGC Bocas Lit Fest
On Wednesday, November 4, 2020, the NGC Bocas Lit Fest will debut a brand new online series aimed at introducing Caribbean writers to industry professionals overseas. Titled LIT’S BE REAL, the series — which takes the form of frank, solution-oriented discussions with editors, educators, agents, and more — will be hosted by Amanda Choo Quan, […]
The Write Away! Young Adult Literature Project
The Bocas Lit Fest and The Scotiabank Foundation are partnering to supply secondary schools with exciting new digital content to support virtual English classes this term. The Write Away! Young Adult Literature project is giving all schools access to five virtual creative writing workshops via the Ministry of Education’s School Learning Management System. Led by […]
Bocas Book Bulletin: October 2020
A monthly roundup of Caribbean literary news, curated by the NGC Bocas Lit Fest and published in the Sunday Express. New Releases The sixth novel by Trinidadian-Canadian Shani Mootoo, Polar Vortex (Akashic Books) is a suspenseful story of desire, secrets, and an unexpected love triangle. Priya and Alex, a lesbian couple who have moved to […]
Celebrating Caribbean Women’s Writing with UEA
WED 14 OCT | ONLINE | 2PM (TT)/ 7PM (UK) FREE EVENT, BUT BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL BOOKING NOW OPEN at www.uealive.com Three Caribbean writers, Ayanna Gillian Lloyd, Tessa McWatt and Ingrid Persuad, join Alison Donnell in conversation about their work, careers and motivations, as part of the UEA Live series of online events. UEA Live […]
BOCAS TALKS REPARATIONS FOR SLAVERY
International Day for Reparations is marked on Monday 12 October. What does that mean for us in the Caribbean, the birthplace of the triangular slave trade? In an era of the Black Lives Matter movement, we are presented with an opportune moment to further examine this contentious issue. Sir Hilary Beckles, Chairman of the Caricom […]
Binge on Bocas: recap all festival events
This weekend, lovers of books, stories, and ideas can “binge” on a recap of the 2020 festival. With eighteen events and over 80 writers, speakers, and performers, the 2020 NGC Bocas Lit Fest was livestreamed TV-style over three days, with continuous broadcasts including archival footage from past years and specially commissioned comedy sketches. Now we’re […]
Alexandra retains her crown in the 2020 FCNPS
Alexandra Stewart makes history becoming the first National Poetry Slam Champion to successfully defend her title! Now twenty-two years old, Stewart goes down as the first winner in the eight-year history of the First Citizens National Poetry Slam to prevail for a second time, making it the fifth time a woman has copped first place. […]
Our 10-year Commemorative Poster by the artist Jackie Hinkson
100 numbered, signed copies of this collectible 2020 festival poster are available! Marking 10 years of the Bocas Lit Fest, our anniversary poster depicts Jackie Hinkson’s specially commissioned drawing of the iconic Old Fire Station in downtown Port of Spain, buttressed by the National Library, the home of the NGC Bocas Lit Fest. About the […]
Dragonzilla’s Short Story Writing Competition
Dragonzilla’s Short Story Writing Challenge, in partnership with NALIS, is for youngsters across Trinidad and Tobago aged 5-8 and 9-12 and allows them to create original stories based on the theme My Covid experience in T&T. After nine years of taking the NGC Children’s Bocas Lit Fest Storytelling Caravan to communities across Trinidad and Tobago, […]
Download Reclaim, Restore, Return: Futurist Tales from the Caribbean
Published specially for the 2020 NGC Bocas Lit Fest, Reclaim, Restore, Return: Futurist Tales from the Caribbean is an e-book anthology of speculative fiction and poetry by seven Caribbean writers. Compiled and edited by Karen Lord and Tobias S. Buckell, and published by the Caribbean Futures Institute in partnership with the NGC Bocas Lit Fest, Reclaim, Restore, Return imagines […]
More than a book festival: comedy, extempo and more!
The 2020 NGC Bocas Lit Fest will serve up an assortment of cultural expression and artistry over the three days of its 10th festival this weekend. From the now standard Extempo debate exploring the “Big Idea” of the day, to dramatised readings of the classics, and to the staple Stand & Deliver open mic, festival […]
Bocas Book Bulletin: September 2020
A monthly roundup of Caribbean literary news, curated by the NGC Bocas Lit Fest and published in the Sunday Express. New Releases The Undiscovered Country (Peepal Tree Press), a collection of essays by Trinidadian writer Andre Bagoo, is described by its publisher as “a manifesto, a literary criticism, a personal chronicle of literary life.” Ranging […]
A special pre-festival BYOBB
On Wednesday 16 September, we’re having a special pre-festival edition of our monthly BYOBB, featuring Karen Lord – guest curator of the NGC Bocas Lit Fest Future Friday line-up. Space is limited. Sign up via Google Form: shorturl.at/iptvU Space is limited. See you there, and don’t forget to bring your sips! ABOUT BYOBB Bring Your Own […]
OCM BOCAS PRIZE OPENS FOR 2021
The region’s most prestigious literary award, the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature, is now open for entries. The prize is sponsored by One Caribbean Media in Trinidad and Tobago and is now in its eleventh year. It includes a cash award of US$10,000 for the overall winner and US$3,000 each for two genre category […]
Announcing the FCNPS Finalists
Twelve performance poets have advanced to the final round of the 2020 First Citizens National Poetry Slam (FCNPS) to meet defending national champion Alexandra Stewart. Through our continued partnership with TV6 and First Citizens, we’ll deliver the grand finale of Spoken Word’s biggest event in the Caribbean on Sunday 27 September, where thirteen will contend […]
Our 2020 festival goes virtual!
2020 is a milestone year for the NGC Bocas Lit Fest: the tenth year of Trinidad and Tobago’s national literature festival, which has grown into the Anglophone Caribbean’s biggest annual literary celebration. The 2020 NGC Bocas Lit Fest, running from 18 to 20 September, will go down in history for another reason: it’s the first-ever […]
Our Extempo Debate is back – but we need your help!
What is calypso, especially EXTEMPO without a live audience? Well, to be honest, we’re not that interested in finding out. Your participation in this annual Festival highlight is essential. We’d love for you to: 1. Submit your prompts based on this year’s topic of poltical leadership & 2. Be part of our live virtual audience […]
Join us online for this month’s BYOBB
Our monthly BYOBB is happening at its usual time on the last Wednesday of August, and this month we’re collaborating with The Caribbean Book Club! Bring Your Own Book & Bottle (BYOBB) is our monthly virtual hangout where you can share excerpts from your favourite books and discuss what you’re reading. It’s a chance to […]
The 2020 Slam semi-finals go on TV
Five months ago the pandemic struck and the 2020 First Citizens National Poetry Slam came to a grinding halt. Now it is set to resume this Sunday on TV6 at 7.30pm! Working under current health protocols, title sponsor First Citizens and Slam producers The Bocas Lit Fest have partnered with TV6 to broadcast the remaining […]
Stand & Deliver at the NGC Bocas Lit Fest
This is your chance to STAND AND DELIVER at the 2020 NGC Bocas Lit Fest! It’s one of the most popular events in the annual NGC Bocas Lit Fest: our signature Stand and Deliver open mic showcase, where writers of all kinds and levels of experience can share their work with others in an open forum. […]
Bocas Book Bulletin: August 2020
A monthly roundup of Caribbean literary news, curated by the NGC Bocas Lit Fest and published in the Sunday Express. New Releases One Year of Ugly (The Borough Press), the debut novel by Trinidadian Caroline Mackenzie, is a sly, zippy dark comedy set in contemporary T&T, combining elements of romance and crime fiction. The extended […]
Classics or contemporary – which books made you?
As we collated the books named during our 100 Caribbean Books that Made Us campaign on social media, we noticed the same book titles popped up quite often. Although this list isn’t and will not become a competition, we kept tabs on each title to see which were named most often and to see what […]