They Called Him Kitch
Anthony Joseph launched his biographical novel “Kitch” with a stellar performance at the 2018 NGC Bocas Lit Fest. This August, the UK-based, TT writer and performance poet returns to deliver the literary headliner for CARIFESTA XIV. In an expanded presentation of that memorable production, Joseph will read from his critically acclaimed fictionalised biography on Sunday […]
Final Three for the CODE Burt Award
CODE and the Bocas Lit Fest have announced the finalists for the 6th CODE Burt Award for Caribbean Young Adult Literature which recognizes excellent, engaging and culturally-relevant books in English for youth aged 12-18, written by Caribbean authors. The international jury, chaired by publisher Ian Randle and administered by The Bocas Lit Fest, has selected […]
The 2019 OCM Bocas Prize Shortlist
Books by three writers from Trinidad and Tobago have made the shortlist for the 2019 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature, sponsored by One Caribbean Media. This is the first time in the history of the prize, first awarded in 2011, that writers from a single Caribbean country have won all three genre categories, forming […]
Honouring Ian Randle for his service to Caribbean literature
The 2019 Bocas Henry Swanzy Award is to be presented to IAN RANDLE O.D., B.A. (Hons); MSc, LL.D. (Hon), Chairman of Ian Randle Publishers Limited, the 26-year old company which he founded in 1990 as the Caribbean’s first commercial scholarly publishing company. Since 1990, Ian Randle Publishers has published dozens of titles by Caribbean and […]
2016 Burt Award winning books released
The Burt Award programme addresses an ongoing shortage of relevant, quality books for young people (ages 12 to 18) in the Caribbean, and promotes the love of reading and learning at the secondary school level. In 2016, the first and second place winners were manuscripts and the third place winner was a self-published book. As part of the award […]
From the Green Antilles: A showcase of new writing from across the Caribbean
From the Green Antilles: A showcase of new writing from across the Caribbean is a free public event on Thursday 21 January in Georgetown, Guyana that offers the rare opportunity to hear readings by nine regional writers. It will feature fiction and poetry readings by Tanya Batson-Savage (Jamaica), Felene Cayetano (Belize), Richard Georges (British Virgin […]
Papillote Press to publish Burt Award winner: Gone to Drift by Diana McCaulay
Papillote Press, the Bocas Lit Fest and CODE are delighted to announce the forthcoming publication of Gone to Drift by the award-winning Jamaican writer Diana McCaulay. This young adult novel, which won second prize in the CODE’s Burt Award for Caribbean Literature (2015), will be published on 29 February 2016. Gone to Drift tells the story of a 12-year-old […]
A Conversation on Historical Fiction
Writing Caribbean Lives into Colonial History: A Conversation on Historical Fiction Featuring Robert Antoni and Caryl Phillips. Saturday 3 October, 2015 from 6pm at the Learning Resource Centre, UWI, St. Augustine. Free and open to all. This event will be live streamed via www.ansacaribbeanawards.com.
Bocas pays tribute to Earl Lovelace in Tobago
Following on the heels of the recent 5th annual festival in Port of Spain, the Tobago festival will have at its heart a tribute to one of the Caribbean’s most accomplished and celebrated writers, Earl Lovelace, who is 80 years old this year. “At the Port of Spain festival”, says festival director Marina Salandy-Brown, “we […]
Bocas and ALTA deepen literacy drive
The Bocas Lit Fest and the Adult Literacy Tutors Association (ALTA) have launched a new initiative to promote literacy through literature in a special series of readings by local authors. Some of Trinidad and Tobago’s best writers are visiting adult literacy classes to read from their books and to talk to literacy students about the books […]
CODE’s 2016 Burt Award for Caribbean Literature is open for submissions
CODE’s 2016 Burt Award for Caribbean Literature is now open for submissions Eligible books and manuscripts must be received at the office of the Bocas Lit Fest by 31 October 2015. In its third year, the Award, established by Canadian education NGO CODE with the generous support of the Literary Prizes Foundation and in partnership […]
Guyanese writer Imam Baksh wins CODE’s Burt Award for Caribbean Literature first prize
The second year of winners of a unique literary award that provides thousands of youth across the Caribbean region each year with access to exciting new titles were announced on May 1st. The 2015 award ceremony for CODE’s Burt Award for Caribbean Literature, recognizing outstanding literary works for young adults written by Caribbean authors, was […]
Five Caribbean poets shortlisted for Hollick Arvon Prize
Poets from three Caribbean countries in the running for region’s leading emerging writers’ award The judges for the 2015 Hollick Arvon Caribbean Writers Prize have announced a shortlist of five, chosen from among the ten previously longlisted writers. The leading Caribbean award for emerging writers will be awarded this year in the field of poetry. […]
Call for creative work by students
Call for submissions of students’ work inspired by Caribbean literature Send us your best work for an exhibition to be mounted at the National Library during the NGC Bocas Lit Fest 2015 The exhibition will display original, creative work by young people aged 12 – 18 inspired by their readings of the 2014 Burt Award for Caribbean Literature […]
Top three books named for 2015 OCM Bocas Prize
Books by authors from Jamaica and St Lucia have made the shortlist for the 2015 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature, sponsored by One Caribbean Media. From a longlist of nine books in the categories of poetry, fiction, and literary non-fiction, the Prize judges have chosen three genre winners. Announced on 1 April, 2015, these […]
Nine writers compete for the 2015 OCM Bocas Prize
Authors from five territories have made the longlist for the 2015 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature, sponsored by One Caribbean Media. The Prize longlist, announced by the judges on 8 March, 2015, includes three genre categories: poetry, fiction, and literary non-fiction. The winners in each category will be announced on 1 April, and the […]
Finalists for the 2015 Burt Award for Caribbean Literature Announced
Thousands of copies of the winning titles to be distributed to Caribbean youth to ignite love of reading CODE and the Bocas Lit Fest are proud to announce the finalists for the 2015 Burt Award for Caribbean Literature. The shortlisted titles are (listed in alphabetical order by author): – Children of the Spider by Imam […]
Calling all Caribbean Publishers!
Exclusive Publishing Deals Offered to Caribbean Publishers through the Burt Award Programme! The Burt Award for Caribbean Literature is an annual literary award and readership initiative that aims to provide engaging and culturally-relevant books for young people across the Caribbean. The Burt Award is open to published books, unpublished manuscripts, and previously self-published books, and will be given to three English-language literary works […]
Announcing the publication of ‘Musical Youth’: Second place winner of the Burt Award for Caribbean Literature
Announcing the publication of Musical Youth by Joanne C. Hillhouse, the second place winner of the 2014 Burt Award for Caribbean Literature, published by Caribbean Reads. The manuscript of Musical Youth was awarded second place in the inaugural Burt Award for Caribbean Literature. Caribbean publishers were invited to bid on the publication rights for this award-winning […]
OCM Bocas Prize Winners in the Alps
Robert Antoni, 2014 winner of the OCM BOCAS Prize for Caribbean Literature; 2012 winner, Earl Lovelace; and Kei Miller, 2014 non-fiction winner, were among a group of eight writers invited to showcase Caribbean writing in the Swiss alpine town of Bellinzona last weekend. The annual Babel Festival of Literature and Translation put the spotlight on […]
2015 OCM Bocas Prize opens for entries
The 2015 OCM Bocas Prize Opens The OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature is a major award for literary books by Caribbean writers. Books may be entered in three categories: poetry, fiction, and literary non-fiction. The prize includes an award of US$10,000, sponsored by One Caribbean Media. This year there will also be cash awards for […]