Monique Roffey

#bocas2026

Biography

Monique Roffey, FRSL is an award winning Trinidadian-born, British writer of novels, essays, literary journalism and a memoir that have been translated into several languages.  Her 2020 novel The Mermaid of Black Conch (Peepal Tree Press) won the Costa Book of the Year Award and was nominated for eight major awards. Her other Caribbean novels, The White Woman on the Green Bicycle and House of Ashes were also nominated for major awards (Costa, Orange, Encore). Archipelago won the 2013 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature. She is a co-founder of Writers Rebel within Extinction Rebellion. She is a Professor of Contemporary Fiction at Manchester Metropolitan University. 

Awards

2013 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature Overall Winner, 2020 Costa Novel Award Winner, Costa Book Awards, OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature

Years Attended

2012, 2012 Adult's Festival Participant, 2013, 2013 Adult’s Festival Participant, 2014, 2014 Adult’s Festival Participant, 2014 Tobago Festival Participant, 2015, 2015 Adult’s Festival Participant, 2017, 2017 Adult’s Festival Participant, 2017 Workshop Facilitator, 2018, 2018 Adult’s Festival Participant, 2018 Workshop Facilitator, 2020, 2020 Adult’s Festival Participant, 2020 Workshop Facilitator, 2021 Bios & Bookmarks Participant, 2022 Bocas UK Tour

Monique Roffey

Author
Trinidad & Tobago, UK
Events Featuring Monique Roffey
2020
Tales of the islands: new fiction by Monique Roffey and Jacob Ross
Festival Programme Event
Discussion Event
Event Date:
Online
2020
"The treachery in every poem": Celebrating the poetry of Colin Robinson
Festival Programme, Online Programme Event
Readings Event
Event Date:
Facebook Live
2020
Beyond the First Draft - Setting the Scene (Workshop)
Festival Programme, Online Programme, The Writers Centre Event
Workshop Event
Event Date:
Online
2020
The Books That Made Me
Festival Programme, Online Programme Event
Discussion Event
Event Date:
i95.5 FM
2020
Beyond the First Draft: Literary Craft Studio #3
Festival Programme, Online Programme Event
Workshop Event
Event Date:
The Writers Centre
2020
Virtual Book Launch: The Mermaid of Black Conch
Festival Programme, Online Programme Event
Book Launch Event
Event Date:
Online
2020
Beyond the First Draft: Literary Craft Studio Package
The Writers Centre Event
Workshop Event
Event Date:
The Writers Centre
2020
Beyond the First Draft: Literary Craft Studio #1
The Writers Centre Event
Workshop Event
Event Date:
The Writers Centre
2018
Workshop: Writing the erotic, with Monique Roffey
Festival Programme, Workshops Event
Workshop Event
Event Date:
1st Floor Seminar Room
2018
After Dark: An intimate encounter with Monique Roffey and Shivanee Ramlochan
Festival Programme, Pre-Festival Event
Readings Event
Event Date:
The Writers Centre
2017
Your Story: a women’s writing workshop
Festival Programme, Workshops Event
Workshop Event
Event Date:
1st Floor Seminar Room
2017
Family ties
Festival Programme, Words Alive Event
Readings Event
Event Date:
Old Fire Station
2015
Take Two: Violent times
Festival Programme, Words Alive Event
Readings Event
Event Date:
Old Fire Station
2015
Fiction: the art of vision and revision
Festival Programme Event
Workshop Event
Event Date:
2nd Floor Seminar Room
2015
The many lives of Raoul Pantin
Festival Programme, In Tribute Event
Readings Event
Event Date:
Old Fire Station
2014
How to turn experience into fiction
Festival Programme Event
Workshop Event
Event Date:
1st Floor Seminar Room
2014
Trinidad writers: Monique Roffey, Barbara Jenkins, Shivanee Ramlochan
Bocas Tobago Event
Readings Event
Event Date:
Gulf City Mall, Lowlands, Tobago
2014
Your Life As Memoir
Bocas Tobago Event
Workshop Event
Event Date:
Tropical Pleasure Resort, Plymouth
2013
Celebrating the 2013 winners
Festival Programme, OCM Bocas Prize Event
Readings Event
Event Date:
Old Fire Station
2013
The Books that Made Me
Festival Programme Event
Discussion Event
Event Date:
Old Fire Station
2012
Rivka Galchen and Monique Roffey
Festival Programme Event
Readings Event
Event Date:
Old Fire Station
2012
Your life as memoir
Festival Programme Event
Workshop Event
Event Date:
1st Floor Seminar Room
Promotional graphic for the Bios & Bookmarks event with Monique Roffey on Sunday, 7 February, featuring event details and 2021 NGC Bocas Lit Fest logos.