The Bocas Lit Fest and OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature have been in the works for months now. And today we finally go public. At just about the same time that this post is being written, Bocas Lit Fest founder and director Marina Salandy-Brown is making an official announcement at the International Conference on Caribbean Literature, taking place today at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine.
We’re thrilled to share the news of the exciting event we’re planning for April next year — the first major literary festival in the southern Caribbean, with international scope, regional focus, and a uniquely Trinidadian and Tobagonian twist. And thrilled all over again to announce the OCM Bocas Prize, a major literary award for Caribbean writers of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. The inaugural OCM Bocas Prize opens for entry on Monday 8 November — see our prize page for more information — and the first winner will be announced during the 2011 Bocas Lit Fest.
There’s lots to do between now and then — and there’ll be lots of news to share. Keep an eye on this blog for the latest updates on both the festival and the prize. And if you’re of the twittering persuasion — you can follow us there too.