Bocas literary prize finalists span Caribbean diaspora

The shortlist for the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature has been announced, bringing together fifteen writers whose work reflects the breadth of Caribbean storytelling across poetry, fiction, and literary nonfiction. The award, first presented in 2011 by Trinidad-based NGC Bocas Lit Fest, honours books by Caribbean authors published in the previous year and is widely regarded as one of the region’s most respected literary distinctions.

Category winners will be revealed on 25th March 2026. The final announcement of the overall prize recipient is scheduled for the Bocas Lit Fest, which runs from 30th April to 3rd May 2026 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Sponsored by One Caribbean Media Ltd, the prize carries an award of US$10,000 for the overall winner, while each shortlisted author receives US$3,000.

Writers with roots in several Caribbean nations appear on this year’s shortlist, including Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, and Trinidad and Tobago, as well as members of the wider diaspora.

In the poetry category, Lorna Goodison represents Jamaica with Dante’s Inferno, a reinterpretation of the Italian epic through a Caribbean lens. Goodison has long been recognised for verse shaped by folklore, colonial history, and spiritual themes. She is joined by Catherine-Esther Cowie, whose debut collection Heirloom reflects on memory and heritage.

Also shortlisted is Canisia Lubrin, born in Saint Lucia, for The World After Rain. The Poem, which examines language, identity, and the enduring effects of colonialism. Shauna M. Morgan of Trinidad and Tobago appears with Ground Provisions, drawing inspiration from Caribbean foods and traditions, while Cuban-born writer Achy Obejas is recognised for The Boy Kingdom, a work shaped by themes of migration and diaspora.

The fiction shortlist features both seasoned and emerging voices. Jamaican author Olive Senior is nominated for Paradise Once, a novel rooted in the landscapes and storytelling traditions of rural Jamaica. Fellow Jamaican writer Marcia Douglas appears with The Jamaica Kollection of the Shante Dream Arkive, a work blending music, myth, and experimental narrative.

Other finalists include Barbadian writer Justin Haynes with Ibis, exploring Caribbean identity and belonging, and H. Nigel Thomas, whose A Different Hurricane reflects the experiences of migration and family life overseas. The list is completed by Robert de la Chevotière, whose writing captures the layered cultural identities found across the region.

In literary nonfiction, Caribbean history and personal reflection form the central themes. Jamaican writer Jason Allen-Paisant is shortlisted for The Possibility of Tenderness: A Jamaican Memoir of Plants and Dreams, an exploration of landscape and identity. Kevin Adonis Browne of Trinidad and Tobago appears with A Sense of Arrival, a work examining migration and belonging within the Caribbean diaspora.

Haitian journalist and activist Monique Clesca is recognised for Silence and Resistance: Memoir of a Girlhood in Haiti, a personal narrative shaped by the country’s political upheavals. The nonfiction category also includes Tessa McWatt, a writer of Guyanese heritage, and Maria Pinto, whose work connects ecological concerns, scientific insight, and Caribbean cultural survival.

As the festival approaches in early May, attention will turn to Port of Spain, where the final decision will determine which of these authors secures the region’s leading literary honour.

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