It may be the eeriest reign of the Merry Monarch in recent memory as Carnival 2021 in Trinidad and Tobago winds down, but certainly not the most transient. In the land where ‘the road made to walk on Carnival day’, the question of “to be or not to be” has simply been unfathomable – Carnival
Mark your calendars and tell your friends – the NGC Bocas Lit Fest 2021 is right around the corner! We return to our early-year spot with another virtual festival programme that will leave you hugging your bookshelves and your screens. We’ll be broadcasting the festival via our website, Youtube and Facebook pages from 23-25 April,
Carnival has notoriously been an expression of “playing yuhself”, but is this freedom equally available to all of us? Our panel takes a look at the hidden truths behind this narrative, exploring the space that may or may not exist for queerness and (un)masking in our Carnival. CARNIVAL BODIES: AN EXPLORATION OF PERFORMING GENDER &
A new season of Bios and Bookmarks premieres this weekend with award-winning author Jacob Ross, creator of a unique Caribbean whodunnit quartet of novels. Over the next six Sundays, the series will explore the theme of “Crime and Wonderment” with new and acclaimed writers, including the conjurer of magic and myth, Monique Roffey, whose win
Monique Roffey’s The Mermaid of Black Conch, a story of exclusion and exile, has firmly secured its place in literary legacy, after winning the 2020 Costa Book of the Year Award. The book was lauded as “utterly original” by the prize’s judges in a virtual announcement ceremony on Tuesday January 26, 2021. It’s a win
Eleven-year old Josse Franco and eight-year old Josh Hansraj top their categories in Dragonzilla’s Short Story Writing Challenge to win brand new laptops, courtesy the NGC Children’s Bocas Lit Fest! Hansraj and Franco were among 22 finalists – 11 in each age group, 5-8 and 9-12 – who advanced to the second round of the
The recent announcement that two Trinidad and Tobago writers Monique Roffey and Ingrid Persaud have been shortlisted for the 2020 Costa Book Awards rounds off an impressive year for TT and Caribbean writers and writing on the world stage. Monique Roffey’s sixth novel The Mermaid of Black Conch (Peepal Tree Press), has been shortlisted for
For one thing, there is the first line of the Dominican author’s seminal work Wide Sargasso Sea: “They say when trouble comes close ranks, and so the white people did”, which, beyond making it to a 2006 list of 100 best first lines from novels, resonates eerily amidst the turbulence of the current socio-political climate.
Twenty-two youngsters have moved onto the second phase of Dragonzilla’s Short Story Writing Challenge, and now have a great chance at winning one of many wonderful and useful prizes! Over 100 children aged 5-12 shared their 300-400 word story on the theme “My COVID experience in Trinidad and Tobago” for the online Storywriting Challenge that
On Thursday 12 November, we’re hosting the first of two interactive online workshops with St Kitts & Nevis-born author Carol Mitchell, guiding participants through the fundamentals of writing dialogue and point of view. In the second on Thursday 19 November, Mitchell shares insights for spotting and addressing common errors in participants’ manuscripts. Both workshops are
Our first special event just for Friends of Bocas Lit Fest is here! We’re thrilled that our first Salon will feature none other than lawyer-turned-author Celeste Mohammed. On Sunday, October 24th 2021, join us for an intimate digital get-together as she shares details of her debut collection, Pleasantview, and answers all your questions about writing
We have a new spoken word King! Five-time finalist Derron Sandy has copped his first Grand Slam win in the First Citizens National Poetry Slam 2021, taking the $50,000 grand prize! Two-time defending champion, Alexandra Stewart, placed second, and Michael Logie placed third. The Grand Slam, sponsored since 2013 by First Citizens, aired on TTT
Six writers from across the Caribbean have been longlisted for the inaugural Bocas Children’s Book Prize, with tales that bring magic, folklore, and real historical events to life for the region’s young readers. The prize, sponsored by the Unit Trust Corporation (UTC), is the first of its kind, recognising Caribbean books for young independent readers
Who has been the most influential young person in literary arts in T&T in the last year? With the help of a diverse panel of judges, we are embarking on a journey to find and celebrate young writers of talent in any corner of literature: including poetry, playwriting, fiction, creative non-fiction, journalism, scriptwriting, spoken word,
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.
