In late October and early November, the Caribbean’s favorite annual literary festival is heading to Britain, along with some amazing writers from across the Caribbean. Join Bocas Lit Fest in five cities for a showcase of Caribbean words, stories, and ideas, with a combination of ticketed and free events. [See more at Bocas Lit Fest / Bocas UK Tour 2022.]

Wednesday 26 October: A conversation with Celeste Mohammed and Amanda Smyth | Bocas UK Tour 2022 in Leicester
Venue: Leicester Central Library, Bishop Street

Celeste Mohammed, winner of the 2022 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature, joins Peepal Tree Press author and fellow Trinidadian writer Amanda Smyth for a conversation about contemporary writing from Trinidad and Tobago. FREE!

Thursday 27 October: Featuring Celeste Mohammed, Canisia Lubrin, Barbara Jenkins, Karen Lord, and Celia Sorhaindo

Venue: National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall, Norwich

A literary showcase featuring five of the Caribbean’s most exciting contemporary voices. With Celeste Mohammed, Canisia Lubrin, Barbara Jenkins, Karen Lord, and Celia Sorhaindo. Chaired by Nicholas Laughlin, Bocas Lit Fest Festival Director. Presented in partnership with the National Centre for Writing, Norwich.

Writing across genres from novels to short stories, memoirs to poetry, these five writers from four Caribbean countries represent a diversity of voices, ideas, and linguistic backgrounds. The Caribbean they explore in their books may be partly familiar and partly strange, and their stories and themes tackle universal questions: family and history, identity and love, boundary crossings of all kinds, and the purpose of writing itself. Join us for a lively evening of stories, poetry, ideas, conversation — and food!

Book tickets: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/whats-on/an-evening-of-new-caribbean-writing/

Saturday 29 October: A full day of events, including a musical Grand Finale!

Venue: British Library, 96 Euston Road, London

One day, two dozen writers from across the Caribbean! Fiction, poetry and memoir, readings, and conversation, plus a musical excerpt from The Playboy of the West Indies and a lively London Literary Lime to end the day, co-hosted by Renaissance One.

Book tickets: https://www.bl.uk/events/bocas-uk-2022-at-the-british-library

Monday 31 October: Jason Allen-Paisant, winner the 2022 OCM Bocas Prize for Poetry, joins Shivanee Ramlochan, Malika Booker and Adam Lowe in conversation with Emily Zobel-Marshall.

University of Leeds Poetry Centre, Venue: Workshop Theatre, FREE!
Presented in partnership with the University of Leeds Poetry Centre and Peepal Tree Press.

Thursday 3 November: Belfast International Arts Festival

Venue: No Alibis Bookstore, 83 Botanic Avenue

Prize-winning fiction writers Celeste Mohammed and Jacob Ross at the Belfast International Arts Belfast explore the complexities of the contemporary Caribbean.

Book tickets: https://belfastinternationalartsfestival.com/event/celeste-mohammed-and-jacob-ross/

Find full details on the Bocas website: https://www.bocaslitfest.com/bocas-uk-tour-2022/