Championing Caribbean stories year-round is the driving literary force known as the Bocas Lit Fest.
This year, the festival turned a new chapter under the theme ‘All Together Now’, an initiative aimed at amplifying local and regional voices on a global scale.
The effort was formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the National Library and Information System Authority (NALIS) and the Bocas Lit Fest on Wednesday.
More than a celebration of national literary accomplishments and prowess, Executive Director of NALIS, Paula Greene, said the signing of the MOU signals an unwavering commitment to the literary arts and undying support for regional creatives.
“When institutions come together, the possibilities are powerful. This Memorandum of Understanding represents a strategic alliance, one that brings together the reach and infrastructure of NALIS with the creative dynamism and regional influence of Bocas Lit Fest.”
The Bocas Lit Fest marked this milestone by presenting the Library with a drawing created by celebrated Trinidadian artist Donald ‘Jackie’ Hinkson, depicting the old fire station on Abercromby Street in Port of Spain, positioned in front of the National Library.
Festival and Programme Director for Bocas Lit Fest, Nicholas Laughlin, gave a brief insight into some events planned for this year.
“For some years now, the festival has included a series called Writers First, as you heard, which are free seminars for early-career writers that focus on the publishing business and the practical aspects of nurturing a professional literary career. With more and more new writers emerging each year, we’ve correspondingly expanded Writers First across the festival weekend with more sessions, more diverse formats and more topics like how to know if your manuscript is ready to send to a publisher, what makes a good audiobook, how to take a dramatic script from stage to page, and the business of literary translation.”
This year’s edition of the Anglophone Caribbean’s largest literary festival is set to run for one month, from April 30th to May 30th. The festival promises a packed itinerary of events, including reading discussions, workshops, performances, music, and drama.