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Making a space for Caribbean stories and voices — here at home and in the world at large — is at the very core of our mission, our ethos, our passion, and our everyday work at the Bocas Lit Fest. It’s what we do at the festival, and it’s why from the beginning we’ve worked so assiduously to seek out and develop new writing talent, and instigate opportunities for our writers.

Festival Programmes

We are a year-round writing and literary arts development organisation, with numerous initiatives forging links and opportunities between writers, readers, publishers and others.

Sponsored by NGC, the yearly NGC Bocas Lit Fest is Trinidad and Tobago’s premier annual literary festival: a lively celebration of books, writers, writing, and ideas, with a Caribbean focus and international scope.

Awards and prizes

Who will win this year's awards?

The OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature is an annual award for literary books by Caribbean writers, first presented in 2011. Books are judged in three categories: poetry; fiction and literary non-fiction which demonstrate literary qualities and use literary techniques, regardless of subject matter.

The Bocas Henry Swanzy Award for Distinguished Service to Caribbean Letters honours and celebrates the contributions of the editors, broadcasters, publishers, critics, and others who have shaped the evolution of Caribbean literature behind the scenes.

Featured Participants

Canisia Lubrin - Chair Poetry - photo by Rachel Eliza Griffiths
Canisia Lubrin
Canada, St. Lucia
Author
Christina Sharpe
Christina Sharpe
Canada, USA
2022 OCM Bocas Prize Judge
dionne brand 2024
Dionne Brand
Canada, Trinidad & Tobago
Author
Edwidge-Danticat
Edwidge Danticat
Haiti, USA
Author
geetanjali shree
Geetanjali Shree
India
Author
H. Nigel Thomas
H. Nigel Thomas
Canada, St. Vincent & The Grenadines
Author
ingrid persaud 2024
Ingrid Persaud
Trinidad & Tobago, UK
Author
Karen Lord
Karen Lord
Barbados
Author
robin-for-bocas2019
Rabindranath Maharaj
Canada, Trinidad & Tobago
Author
0013_Safiya-Sinclair-Author-Photo-Full
Safiya Sinclair
Jamaica, USA
Author

new and noteworthy

Workshops

Click on photo to reveal workshop details. Please note some festival workshops are $100 TT.

The Bocas Book Bulletin

Welcome to the latest installment of the Bocas Book Bulletin, a monthly roundup of Caribbean literary news, curated by the NGC Bocas Lit Fest, Trinidad and Tobago’s annual literary festival, and published in the Sunday Express.

Youth Projects

@nationalslamtt "Say yuh bad from which part? I dare not say, Africa." Soleil has some 'chosen words', can they match up against her fellow poets vying for finalist titles? 🔥🐲 You'll have to wait to find out 🎤 Soleil will mount the stage at Central Bank Auditorium for the First Citizens National Poetry Slam on Sat 23 March, as the last in the lineup. 🗣️ Need to catch her live. Buy tickets! 🗓️ Sat 23 March - Semifinal 1 🗓️ Sun 24 March - Semifinal 2 ⏰ 6.30pm (doors open at 6pm) 📍Central Bank Auditorium 🎟️ $100 per show Physical tickets are now available at Xtra Foods stores nationwide: 📍Grand Bazaar 📍Aranguez 📍Price Plaza 📍Arima 📍Sangre Grande 📍Endeavour You can also purchase tickets from Paper Based Bookshop at The Writers Centre, 14 Alcazar Street, St. Clair (cash only) Island E-tickets available via DM 📲 (NEW special available 🎫) #fcnps2024 #spokenwordpoetry #dragonsmouth #bocas2024 #spokenword #poetry #WePutYouFirst #bocastok ♬ original sound - National Poetry Slam TT
@nationalslamtt

Markus Wylie, age 10, tells the tale of Billy, who enters 'into the dragon's mouth.' The semifinalist himself enters the Central Bank Auditorium for the First Citizens National Poetry Slam Semifinals on Saturday 23 March. Still need tickets? 🗓️ Sat 23 March - Semifinal 1 🗓️ Sun 24 March - Semifinal 2 ⏰ 6.30pm (doors open at 6pm) 📍@cbtt_auditorium 🎟️ $100 per show Need tickets for the Slam show? Physical tickets are now available at @xtrafoods stores nationwide: 📍Grand Bazaar 📍Aranguez 📍Price Plaza 📍Arima 📍Sangre Grande 📍Endeavour You can also purchase tickets from Paper Based Bookshop at The Writers Centre, 14 Alcazar Street, St. Clair (cash only) Island E-tickets available via link in DM 📲 (NEW special available 🎫) #fcnps2024 #spokenwordpoetry #dragonsmouth #bocas2024 #spokenword #poetry #bocastok

♬ original sound - National Poetry Slam TT
@nationalslamtt 🫡 “They never told us that de young black male covered in an honest sweat from de toil is de wealth of dis nation, we are black oil” Sound ON 🔊to hear the full audition piece from the 2021 Slam Champ. And heed the call 🗣️ to get your ticket to see 30 semifinalists and 4 Wild Cards light up the First Citizens Nationals Poetry Slam stage on Sat 23 & Sun 24. Need tickets for the Slam show? 🗓️ Sat 23 March - Semifinals 1 🗓️ Sun 24 March - Semifinals 2 ⏰ 6.30pm (doors open at 6pm) 📍Central Bank Auditorium 🎟️ $100 per show Physical tickets are now available at @xtrafoods stores nationwide: 📍Grand Bazaar 📍Aranguez 📍Price Plaza 📍Arima 📍Sangre Grande 📍Endeavour You can also purchase tickets from Paperbased Bookshop at The Writers Centre, 14 Alcazar Street, St. Clair (cash only) Visit Island E-tickets for e-tickets 📱SLAM HOTLINE: (868) 375-2155 📲 Like. Share. Comment. Repost. #fcnps2024 #spokenwordpoetry #dragonsmouth #bocas2024 #spokenword #poetry #bocastok ♬ original sound - nationalslamtt - National Poetry Slam TT

The Scotiabank Write Away! Young Adult Literature Project funded by the Scotiabank Foundation continued with this year’s project edition in collaboration with the College of Science, Technology, and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTAATT).  The aim was to equip young writers and communication enthusiasts with the skills needed to succeed in their future careers. 

The Non-Fiction Workshop Series includes Business Writing, Multi-Media Journalism, PR & Marketing, Social Media Communication, Feature Writing, Copywriting, Broadcast News Writing, News Report Writing and Scriptwriting. 

Children's Projects

The festival season starts with a series of storytelling sessions with the NGC Children’s Bocas Lit Fest Storytelling Caravan at venues all around the country from 7 March to 27 April 2024. This year is the 14th children’s festival taking the Caravan to ten locations throughout Trinidad and Tobago.

Bocas Storytime is a dedicated home for children’s videos showcasing Caribbean words, stories and ideas, including book read-alouds, local storytelling, author interviews and more — growing new readers in our region with every fun video.

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