Season 2 of Bios & Bookmarks
Bios & Bookmarks, the NGC Bocas Lit Fest’s Online Reading Series featuring Caribbean authors, is back for a second season on Sunday 9 August. Season 2 of Bios & Bookmarks will be livestreamed on Facebook every Sunday between 9 August and 13 September at 3pm. Kicking off this season’s cast of admired authors is Barbadian […]
100 Caribbean Books That Made Us: What makes a “Caribbean” Book?
When we asked you to name your favourite books during our 100 Caribbean Books That Made Us campaign, we left the definition of Caribbean up to you. It’s been a joy to sift through the recommendations of 100+ beloved books and find the rich themes that try to articulate “Caribbeanness”, including geographic location. From Franz […]
NGC Bocas Lit Fest remembers 1990
The NGC Bocas Lit Fest is set to recognise 30 years since the attempted coup d’état by featuring the newly published, second edition of broadcaster Dennis McComie’s personal account of the 1990 insurrection. On Monday 27 July 2020, marking three decades to the date since the violent takeover of the TT Parliament and national broadcaster […]
THE 2021 JOHNSON AND AMOY ACHONG CARIBBEAN WRITERS PRIZE OPENS
The much-anticipated 2021 Johnson and Amoy Achong Caribbean Writers Prize is open for submissions in the poetry genre. This is the third round of the pan-Caribbean developmental award for emerging writers. The Johnson and Amoy Achong Caribbean Writers Prize, managed by The Bocas Lit Fest in Trinidad and Tobago and Arvon in the UK, is an […]
Bocas Book Bulletin: July 2020
A monthly roundup of Caribbean literary news, curated by the NGC Bocas Lit Fest and published in the Sunday Express. New Releases In her new book of poems Passport to Here and There (Bloodaxe), her ninth, the eminent writer Grace Nichols describes a personal journey from her childhood in rural Guyana through her migration as […]
Announcing Survival Kit #3
Three and a half months after the COVID-19 pandemic was officially declared, some of us are still under strict quarantine, others have begun to emerge cautiously. And it’s clear our world won’t ever be the same. Many of us continue to turn to poems and stories, art, music, and film, for comfort and inspiration as […]
Bocas Book Bulletin: June 2020
A monthly roundup of Caribbean literary news, curated by the NGC Bocas Lit Fest and published in the Sunday Express. New Releases Although many books scheduled for publication in early 2020 have had their release dates pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic, titles by Caribbean and Caribbean diaspora authors continue to appear. Modern, Age, […]
The 100 Caribbean Books That Made Us Campaign
Earlier this year, we asked the question: what makes an unforgettable Caribbean read? Which books have meant the most to you, from childhood to your adult life? Since then, hundreds of readers have commented on social media to tell us about the Caribbean books that hold pride of place on their bookshelves and their hearts. […]
How we remember: a reading list for the 175th anniversary of Indian Arrival Day in T&T
How we remember: reflections on the 175th anniversary of Indian Arrival Day in Trinidad and Tobago is a discussion hosted by the NGC Bocas Lit Fest, premiering online on 6 June, 2020, and featuring writers Andre Bagoo, Gaiutra Bahadur, and Gabrielle Hosein alongside publisher Jeremy Poynting, with moderators Shivanee Ramlochan and Nicholas Laughlin. During this […]
Announcing Survival Kit #2
We’re delighted to share the second monthly installment of the NGC Bocas Lit Fest’s Survival Kit, a curated package of literature, music, and art to inspire and soothe you in these unnerving times. Here you’ll find doses of humour and beauty, stories of resilience and wonder, to stimulate, console, and even provoke. Our second […]
Online Writing Workshops June – Aug 2020
We’ve launched our online writer development programme, with a range of free and paid opportunities for writers at all levels and based anywhere in the world! We start off with The Writers Lab, a series of one-on-one online sessions facilitated by leading writers. The first edition is for Caribbean Non-Fiction with award-winning writer Kevin […]
Happy birthday, Kamau Brathwaite
11 May, 2020, is the 90th birthday of Kamau Brathwaite, the iconic Barbadian poet and scholar who died last February, and was the recipient of the 2020 Bocas Henry Swanzy Award for Distinguished Service to Caribbean Letters. Across the Caribbean and around the world, lovers of Caribbean literature are using today’s anniversary to pay tribute […]
Richard Georges wins the 2020 OCM Bocas Prize
A poetry collection that presents us with the aftermath of 2017’s catastrophic Hurricane Irma, taking us way beyond the ruins left by the storm, has now taken home the 2020 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature. Epiphaneia, by Trinidad-born, British Virgin Islands–resident Richard Georges, is the third book of poetry to win the most prestigious […]
Amanda Choo Quan wins the 2020 JAAWP Prize
Congratulations to Trinidad and Tobago writer Amanda Choo Quan on winning the 2020 Johnson and Amoy Achong Caribbean Writers Prize (JAAWP)! Choo Quan was shortlisted along with two other TT non-fiction writers, Melissa Doughty and Amílcar Sanatan, in this second year of the Prize, which is dedicated to the advancement of new Caribbean voices. The […]
The Books That Made Me on i95.5FM
Tune in to radio station i95.5FM on Wednesdays at 11:30am for a very special edition of The Books That Made Me! We’ll be hearing from winners of the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature for the next month, beginning tomorrow (Wednesday 29 April) with the 2019 overall winner Kevin Adonis Browne.
Announcing Survival Kit #1
As people across Trinidad and Tobago and around the world adapt to the COVID-19 “lockdown”, many have turned to books, music, and films to occupy their homebound hours. All of us at the NGC Bocas Lit Fest believe it’s vital to keep our imaginations nourished and healthy in these anxious times. So we’re pleased to […]
Bios & Bookmarks: an Online Reading Series with Caribbean Authors
It may be a time for social distancing, but we’ve found a way to get a little up close and personal with some of our favourite authors. Bios & Bookmarks, an Online Reading Series with Caribbean Authors, will premiere on Bocas’ Instagram Live on Sunday 5 April. The series, powered by the NGC Bocas Lit […]
Announcing the 2020 OCM Bocas Prize Shortlist
Books by three writers spanning the region and its diasporas have been shortlisted for the 2020 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature, sponsored by One Caribbean Media. Internationally considered the leading literary award for Caribbean writers, the OCM Bocas Prize recognises books in three genre categories — poetry, fiction, and literary non-fiction — published by […]
Upcoming book events: Online!
So many upcoming events, including our very own #bocas2020, have been postponed, but that’s no reason we can’t celebrate Caribbean reading, writing, and ideas in virtual space. Whether it’s live readings on multiple social media platforms, podcasts, webinars and e-workshops, virtual conferencing, book launches or more, we’ll be using our Celebrating 10 Years events calendar […]
The Johnson & Amoy Achong Caribbean Writers Prize Shortlist
Three emerging TT writers are now vying for the non-fiction category prize in the second year of the Johnson and Amoy Achong Caribbean Writers Prize. They are, in alphabetical order: Amanda Choo Quan for It Starts with a Shatter (extract from An Emotional History of the West Indies); Melissa Doughty with The Road I’ve Walked: […]
New dates for the NGC Bocas Lit Fest: 18 – 20 Sept
In light of recent developments of confirmed cases of COVID-19 and efforts to curb the spread of the virus in Trinidad and Tobago, the Board of the Bocas Lit Fest has moved to postpone the NGC Bocas Lit Fest, originally scheduled for May 1-3, to September 18-20, 2020. The Writers Centre, and, by extension, the […]
Announcing the 2020 OCM Bocas Prize Longlist
Nine books by writers with roots in seven Caribbean territories have been longlisted for the 2020 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature, sponsored by One Caribbean Media. Now in its tenth year, and internationally regarded as the leading literary award for Caribbean writers, the OCM Bocas Prize recognises books in three genre categories — poetry, […]
Her Stories: International Women’s Week 2020
This is our 4th year of collaborating with WE to host HER STORIES! Come down to The Writers Centre on Thursday 12 March to hear selected readings from well known female authors on themes which, somehow, we find difficult… Let’s talk about Motherhood (honestly!), female Sexuality-ies & fulfillment – all leading back to this year’s […]
Announcing the FCNPS Semi-Finalists
Congratulations to the semi-finalists and wild cards of the First Citizens National Poetry Slam 2020! They move forward in the #Slamageddon arena, and we can’t wait to see the fire they bring to the semi-final rounds! Semi-final tickets ($100) are now available at: 1. Francis Fashion Shoe Locker 2. The Writers Centre (Home of The […]
Literary legend Kamau Brathwaite dies age 89
The Bocas Lit Fest will honour the Barbadian icon with Bocas Henry Swanzy Award. The Barbadian writer, scholar, and editor Kamau Brathwaite, who passed away on February 4th at the age of 89, was a towering figure in Caribbean letters and culture for half a century. Dozens of contemporary Caribbean writers — of both poetry […]
The 2020 Johnson and Amoy Achong Caribbean Writers Prize Longlist
The Bocas Lit Fest has announced the 2020 longlist for the region’s only prize for emerging writers, the Johnson and Amoy Achong Caribbean Writers Prize (JAAWP). 2020 NON-FICTION LONGLIST Amanda Choo Quan (T&T) Melissa Doughty (T&T) Ruel Johnson (Guyana) Otancia Noel (T&T) Kim Robinson-Walcott (Jamaica) Amílcar Sanatan (T&T) Of the total 20 submissions received from 6 Caribbean countries – Trinidad […]
Bring your own book & bottle, Wed 29 Jan @ TWC
We’re excited to launch The Book Network and a new monthly calendar event at The Writers Centre! Our Bring Your Own Book and Bottle event aims to connect readers of all genres in a relaxed environment. It’s about building community around books and book conversation, and creating an in-person extension of our virtual Book Network. […]
Poetry slam season is here!
Auditions are underway for the 2020 edition of the region’s biggest platform for spoken word, the First Citizens National Poetry Slam (FCNPS). Slam season, which ends on May 3 as the closing event of the NGC Bocas Lit Fest, began last Sunday at Stages on the Avenue in Port of Spain with the first of […]
Audition for the 2020 First Citizens National Poetry Slam
The 2020 First Citizens National Poetry Slam presents Slamageddon! Don’t miss your shot to audition for a chance at the grand slam prize of TT$50,000. There are 5 audition venues, each with 40 audition slots. To register, fill in the form at https://2centsmovement.com/fcnps-2020/. There is a $30 registration fee for audition entrants. Admission at the […]
A WEEKEND OF WORKSHOPS WITH TOP WRITERS
Prize-winning author Monique Roffey and critically acclaimed poet Shivanee Ramlochan kick off a milestone year for the Bocas Lit Fest at The Writers Centre in Port of Spain. On the weekend of January 18-19, the Bocas Lit Fest, now in its 10th year, will facilitate training for aspiring and emerging writers of fiction and poetry […]