How To Write Dialogue and POV
What to Expect...
Perfect for fiction and non-fiction writers!
One-on-One Feedback Guaranteed!
An interactive seminar in navigating the elements of writing dialogue and POV. Join Carol Mitchell, founder of Caribbean Reads Publishing, as she takes you through the necessary tools, tips and prompts for your fiction and non-fiction writing.
Author of eighteen books for children of all ages (three of those are forthcoming from HarperCollins). Carol holds an MFA in fiction, a certificate in editing from UC Berkeley, and has taught literature and creative writing at George Mason University in Virginia, USA. Carol’s short stories have appeared in Akashic Books: Mondays are Murder series and in several Caribbean journals. She was short-listed for the Burt Award for Young Adult Caribbean Literature in 2016 and has twice been long-listed for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Carol continues to teach creative writing and to work on her novel. She blogs at carolmitchellbooks.com.
This seminar includes guided discourse, an interactive Q+A session and one-on-one feedback sessions, Carol will guide you through the fundamentals of writing in dialogue and POV and critical elements to your fiction and non-fiction writing. Your short stories or manuscript excerpts submitted should not exceed 4000 words.
NOTE: This ticket includes two sessions: one interactive group seminar on November 12, and a follow-up one-on-one feedback session with facilitator Carol Mitchell. The ticket shows the date and time of the first seminar, after which we’ll contact you to schedule a 15-minute personal feedback session in November.
Cost: TT$300
Supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture & the Arts
Frequently Asked Questions
The Bocas Lit Fest is held every year during the last week of April/ first week of May in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
The Bocas Lit Fest takes place at the National Library and the adjoining Old Fire Station in downtown Port of Spain.
Entrance to the Festival Village is free (unless otherwise stated), and almost all of our events – including readings, panel discussions, film screenings, performances and children’s events – are free and open to the public. Seating is on a first-come basis and everyone is welcome.
There are two notable exceptions:
1) The First Citizens National Poetry Slam semi-finals and finals are ticketed events. We recommend purchasing tickets early to avoid disappointment! Note: While in-person performance restrictions remain in place, the FCNPS will be broadcast on national TV in Trinidad and Tobago so everyone can enjoy.
2) You must register in advance to reserve your spot in our writing workshops. You can register online, by phone or by email. We do have free workshops, but most have a small fee.
Our Festival programme is developed around specific annual themes and generally features recently published Caribbean authors. We showcase the writers longlisted and shortlisted for the major literary awards administered by Bocas Lit Fest, as well as the independent panels of experts and writers who judge them. We also review nominations from publishers and our programme partners to determine the most exciting new voices to showcase each year.
We welcome submissions from authors wishing to participate in the Festival, but we have limited openings for writers who don’t fall into one of the above categories. We follow up on submissions/ queries from authors that fit with our programme plans and themes for upcoming Festivals.
If you’re interested in participating in the Bocas Lit Fest, send us an email at [email protected] with an author bio, book synopsis and any critical reviews/ endorsements for consideration. All writers are welcome to participate in our Stand & Deliver series.
We have several events during the Festival, and year round, that seek out and support promising new talent:
- Writing workshops for all levels (advance registration required)
- Stand and Deliver is our main platform for new writers who want to read their work for peers and a festival audience. This is an open-mic event for writers of all genres. While the Festival remains virtual, we’ll put out an online open call for submissions from writers, and the Stand & Deliver will be a pre-recorded virtual event within the Festival programme (and throughout the year if interest from writers is high!).
- Writers First is our series of free seminars for budding and self-published writers on key areas of the book business, led by publishing experts. You can access the recordings full of advice from industry professional in the content library.
- Our New Talent Showcase and New Writing events shine a spotlight on promising new writers, many of whom have gone on to be published after appearing on our stage.
- The Johnson and Amoy Achong Caribbean Writers Prize (formerly the Hollick Arvon) supports an emerging Caribbean writer in completing a work in progress.
The Bocas Lit Fest does not sell or distribute books, so books by authors appearing at the Festival (and many other titles) are sold by independent booksellers who set up booths in our Festival Village. Make sure to purchase early so you’re first in line for book signing!
Beyond books, the Festival Village has an array of exciting local products, crafts and services from specialist vendors — everything from artisan chocolate to handmade clothing, jewellery and crafts. If you’re interested in having your own booth at the Festival, contact us at [email protected] for a copy of our vendor registration form and to get more information on renting a booth space at the Bocas Lit Fest.
Since 2017 we’ve been livestreaming the events at the Old Fire Station, and those videos are available on our YouTube channel here. We have audio recordings of Festival events from before 2017, and those are available via Soundcloud here. If you are interested in using or sharing a recording from the festival, please contact us for permission at [email protected].
Yes! We recruit a large team of volunteers to help at the annual Bocas Lit Fest.