The OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature announced its 2026 category winners.
Canadian based poet, Canisia Lubrinm, Guyanese-British writer Tessa McWatt and Trinidadian author Justin Haynes are amongst the winners.
Canisia Lubrinm received the Poetry Prize for “The World After Rain: Anne’s Poem.”
Guyanese-British writer Tessa McWatt received the Non-Fiction category award ” The Snag: A Mother, a Forest,” and “Wild Grief.” McWatt’s work, written during her mother’s battle with dementia, explores the intersection of personal and ecological loss.
Trinidadian author Justin Haynes book “Ibis” which is set in a coastal Trinidadian village and explores migration, folklore was recognized in fictional category. The book follows a young Venezuelan refugee navigating displacement alongside a community shaped by myth, memory, and survival.
Founded in 2011, the Bocas Lit Fest is Trinidad and Tobago’s annual literary festival which celebrates Caribbean’s literary achievements.
