Bocas Children’s Book Prize 2022

Bocas Lit Fest Children's Book Prize sponsored by the Wainwright family.


Bocas Lit Fest Children's Book Prize - Winner 2022


Bocas Lit Fest Children's Book Prize - Shortlist

  • Aarti Gosine, The Land Below (JAV Publishing, 2022) – Trinidad and Tobago
  • Nadine Johnson, I Write Rhymes (123 Mango Tree LLC, 2021) – Jamaica
  • Danielle Y. C. McClean, The Whisperer’s Warning: Secrets of Oscuros (Caribbean Reads Publishing, 2021) – Trinidad and Tobago
  • Alake Pilgrim, Zo and the Forest of Secrets (Knights Of Ltd, 2022) – Trinidad and Tobago


Bocas Lit Fest Children's Book Prize - Longlist

  • Aarti Gosine, The Land Below (JAV Publishing, 2022) – Trinidad and Tobago
  • Nadine Johnson, I Write Rhymes (123 Mango Tree LLC, 2021) – Jamaica
  • Danielle Y. C. McClean, The Whisperer’s Warning: Secrets of Oscuros (Caribbean Reads Publishing, 2021) – Trinidad and Tobago
  • Alake Pilgrim, Zo and the Forest of Secrets (Knights Of Ltd, 2022) – Trinidad and Tobago
  • Phillip Simon, Petra and the Panman’s Daughter (Phillip Simon, 2022) – Trinidad and Tobago
  • Pearl Entou Springer, Children of the Sun (Frontline Distribution Int’l, 2022) – Trinidad and Tobago


About the Prize

The annual BLF Children’s Book Prize is a prize that is given to one outstanding English-language children’s book for young independent readers, written by a Caribbean* author.  This Prize seeks to recognise and celebrate excellent writing and intriguing storytelling that can capture young imaginations and help establish a lifelong love and habit of reading in our young Caribbean demographic.

The prize is administered by the Bocas Lit Fest, and sponsored by the Wainwright family. It consists of a cash award of US$1,000, and is open to Caribbean-born authors, resident anywhere in the world, of English-language books.

Guidelines for the 2023 prize will be announced later.

*See Appendix 1 for a list of territories which constitute the Caribbean for the purposes of this prize.

2022 Judges

The prize is judged by an independent panel of children’s literature experts. The panel is joined by a young reader at the second stage of judging. who will contribute to selecting the winner.

Chief Judge
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Prize Judges

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Young Reader

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The BLF Children’s Book Prize is a new prize that will be given to one outstanding English-language children’s book for young independent readers, written by a Caribbean author. This Prize seeks to recognise and celebrate excellent writing and intriguing storytelling that can capture young imaginations and help establish a lifelong love and habit of reading in our young Caribbean demographic.

In the first year, the Prize consists of a cash award of US$1,000, and Caribbean-born authors, resident anywhere in the world, of English-language books which have been published between January 2020 and July 2021 were eligible. The prize was open for entries from 1 May to 30 July 2021, and the first winner was announced in November 2021. 

The prize is administered by the Bocas Lit Fest, and supported by Unit Trust Corporation in Trinidad and Tobago

2021 Winner

When Life Gives You Mangoes by Kereen Getten (Pushkin Children’s Books) 

2021 Shortlist

When Life Gives You Mangoes by Kereen Getten (Pushkin Children’s Books) (JAMAICA)

Chaos in Castries by Carol Mitchell (Caribbean Reads Publishing) (ST KITTS & NEVIS)

A Different Me A Better You by Janet Morrison (Blue Banyan Books) (JAMAICA)

2021 Longlist

The Year I Flew Away by Marie Arnold (HarperCollins) (HAITI)

King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender (Scholastic Press) (U.S VIRGIN ISLANDS)

Lost in the Cockpit Country by Billy Elm (Blue Banyan Books) (JAMAICA)

When Life Gives You Mangoes by Kereen Getten (Pushkin Children’s Books) (JAMAICA)

Chaos in Castries by Carol Mitchell (Caribbean Reads Publishing) (ST KITTS & NEVIS)

A Different Me A Better You by Janet Morrison (Blue Banyan Books) (JAMAICA)

2021 Judges

The prize was judged by an independent panel of children’s literature experts. The panel was joined by a young reader who contributed to selecting the shortlist and winner from the six longlisted books.  

Chief Judge
Judges
  • Olive Senior, Author (Jamaica / Canada)
  • Johnny Temple, Publisher (USA)
  • Clarisse Kem Ellen Lee-Sing, Young Reader, age 14 (Trinidad & Tobago)
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