More Than A Literary Festival

The Book Network

The Bocas Book Network is a community resource that seeks to keep our Caribbean book chat going by providing a platform for lovers of reading and literature. In April 2021, we launched Friends of Bocas, an online book network dedicated to different discussion threads and conversations around books and writing. We invite you to join our growing community to support our work, and become more deeply involved in our literary community!

A true collaborative effort: we’ve teamed up with local, regional and international book clubs, beloved Caribbean writers, independent booksellers and organisations to provide an experience focused on community networking and sustaining an energetic debate that revolves around our literature, and our passionate readers. Our signature community event is the monthly online BYOBB – Bring Your Own Book and Bottle – which is free and open to the public, with limited spaces in each session for an intimate and engaging group conversation around books.  

BYOBB – Not your average book club! 

Under the umbrella of the Book Network is the BYOBB – Bring Your Own Book and Bottle takes your “typical” book club for a spin! Our monthly meetings encourage participants to share what they have been reading/are looking forward to reading in a space that takes on a “come as you are” approach. This takes the pressure off of the commitment to read and finish a specific title and be ready to share at meetups.

What we encourage is a more relaxed environment where participants are free to discuss titles of their choosing or even listen in for reviews and recommendations. This has created:

  • A reading list of titles discussed for distribution
  • Discovery of unknown titles 
  • A rediscovery of older/classic titles 
  • Networking amongst club members, other book clubs, publishers and booksellers 
  • Discovery of new authors 

With a biannual community book, we give the club the opportunity to read and discuss two titles collectively. 

The BYOBB meets every last Wednesday of the month at 6:30pm via Zoom. The format is simple: You bring a book you’re currently reading/have read and share excerpts from it, and sip from your favourite drink in the company of other book lovers as everyone shares from their chosen books.

 
 

Book Network Members

What does a Book Network member look like?

Our community is not bound by age, geography or gender. Rather it is one that finds curious readers of the diaspora, emerging writers, indie booksellers, book clubs and more connecting within a small, yet inclusive and intimate space. The book network is a global community woven together by the common thread of Caribbean literature. 

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