With bodies of work that span borders and decades, and having helped to launch some of the most talented contemporary Caribbean and diaspora writers, Funso Aiyejina and Merle Hodge have played an unmistakable role in shaping the region’s literary landscape. Now the Bocas Lit Fest is honouring them with the annual Bocas Henry Swanzy Award
“Four Days to Change the World” is the promise of the 2022 NGC Bocas Lit Fest, Trinidad and Tobago’s annual festival of words, stories, and ideas, which launches its upcoming virtual programme today. This is the twelfth year of the festival, the largest annual literary event in the Anglophone Caribbean — also its eleventh year
Three books, two of them by first-time authors, have been shortlisted for the twelfth annual OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature. Debut authors Jason Allen-Paisant, a Jamaican based in the UK, and Trinidadian Celeste Mohammed are joined on the list by Kei Miller, a former winner of the OCM Bocas Prize, considered the most prestigious
Calling all Caribbean writers of all genres – it’s that time again! Submit your work to be a part of our 2022 festival and our “season of change” under any of the following themes: Let’s Change The World This Story has Never Been Told The Time is Now Your work will be featured during one
A wind of change is blowing, and the NGC Bocas Lit Fest’s popular author interview series Bios & Bookmarks will explore the theme when the newest season opens on 17 March, 2022. Titled “A Change is Gonna Come” — after US singer Sam Cooke’s 1964 classic, an unofficial anthem of the Civil Rights Movement —
Nine writers with roots in five different Caribbean countries have been longlisted for the 2022 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature, sponsored by One Caribbean Media, owner of the Trinidad and Tobago Express newspaper, TV6, and the OCM radio network. Recognised as the most prestigious award dedicated to Caribbean writing, the OCM Bocas Prize is
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic means that Carnival activities have been scaled back this year, but Carnival lovers who are also enthusiasts for stories and poems can still find inspiration and entertainment via the Bocas Lit Fest’s online Carnival Capsule 2022, launching on Carnival Friday, 25 February, and presented in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism,
Twenty early-career writers from seven different Caribbean territories have been shortlisted for the 2022 Bocas Emerging Writers Fellowships, to be awarded in two genre categories for poetry and prose. Scheduled to run for a period of six months, and offering tangible support for emerging writers to advance or complete a body of work, the two
The Bocas Lit Fest team are saddened by the death of our colleague Wayne Bowman, veteran journalist and features editor at the Trinidad and Tobago Express newspaper, one of our media partners. Our team worked regularly with Wayne in recent years to share news of our projects and programmes, and we’ll miss his expertise on
All of us at the Bocas Lit Fest are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Sarah White (1941–2022), co-founder of New Beacon Books with her partner John La Rose, and a true and practical friend to generations of Caribbean writers, artists, and activists. White was the co-recipient of the first Bocas Henry Swanzy
Write Away!, the secondary schools creative writing project produced by the Bocas Lit Fest and sponsored by the Scotiabank Foundation is warmly welcomed by students, teachers and the Ministry of Education. On Friday 24 June, Dr. the Honourable Nyan Gadsby-Dolly received a small box containing the unique digital learning tools for English Literature students
NGC Bocas Lit fest has earned yet another accolade. This time the festival has been awarded Best Social Investment Project by the Energy Chamber’s Annual Award Programme. The announcement was made at the recently concluded 2022 Trinidad and Tobago Energy Conference (TTEC). NGC has been a sponsor of Bocas Lit Fest since its inception in
🔊Calling all spoken word poets 🔊 It’s YOUR time to audition for the First Citizens National Poetry Slam 2022! It’s the competition’s 10th anniversary and we’re celebrating A Season of Change! Book your spot and audition via Zoom before a panel of live judges. 🗓️ 5 dates📡5 virtual open mic sessions🎙️In partnership with 5 dynamic
*whispers* Hey, come closer… we’ve never done this before and you didn’t hear this from us but…The First CitizensNational Poetry Slam – Trinidad and Tobago Competition 2022 is coming… soon AND it’s our 10th Anniversary! Don’t stick on this heads up. SHARE the news with everyone, because this year is going to be HUGE and
If you have a particular question or query, please email info@bocaslitfest.com, or call us at (868) 222-7099 – if we don’t answer, please leave a message and we’ll get right back to you.
