Bocas Lit Fest

13/10/2026

12/10/2026

A tiny sample of titles on sale on Saturday 31 October at The Writers Centre!

Pop by between 10 am and 2 pm to browse even more eclectic books from the library of Bocas Lit Fest founder Marina Salandy-Brown.

From fiction and poetry to history, politics, economics and art, there are treasures to discover in hardcover first editions, out-of-print paperbacks, and many additional titles!

🗓Saturday 31 October, 2026
🕠10 am-2 pm
📍The Writers Centre, 14 Alcazar Street, St Clair

We're unable to hold books for you this time around, so come by as early as you can or send a friend to browse and buy for you. 🛍

🙏Proceeds go towards the Bocas Lit Fest's year-round programmes supporting writers and readers of all ages.

12/10/2026

Ahead of his Author Product Development Masterclass on 25th October, creative strategist, author and producer Stuart Ramon Fortuné joined Trinidad and Tobago Today to explore how writers and other creatives in Trinidad and Tobago can turn their talents into sustainable careers.

The strategic masterclass, facilitated by Stuart Ramon Fortuné and presented in partnership with Bocas Academy, is designed to help writers think beyond the page and make smarter decisions about the creative product they want to bring to market, and is open to all writers.

Whether starting an idea, developing a manuscript or revising a completed work, participants will gain practical insight into:

✅️Market: Audience • Niche • Positioning
✅️Product: Concept • Language • Design • Cover • Format
✅️Publishing: Production • ISBN • Industry • Platforms
✅️Protection: Intellectual Property • Author Rights

🗓 25 October 2026
🕘 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
📍The Writers Centre, 14 Alcazar Street, St. Clair
💰 TT$1,200 per person 🎟️ Limited to 12 seats
🍽Breakfast, lunch, and refreshments will be provided.
Register at: 🔗 https://forms.gle/nXT9teX9ytd9U7S77 or via
📧 [email protected]

The Masterclass’ objective is simple: help you understand your book as a product, identify the audience it should serve, and make informed decisions about how to develop and position it.

Register today!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FeRlxw6U8M

In this TTT: Trinidad and Tobago Today interview, I discuss the thi...

11/10/2026

Bocas Tobago 2026 was a wonderful and memorable success. We thank each and every one who joined us at the Scarborough Library on Saturday 10 October for a day of words, stories, and ideas.

Free and open to all, Bocas Tobago 2026 would not have been possible without the support of our presenting sponsor Methanex Trinidad.

Thank you to Tobago Library Services and the Scarborough Library Team for your warm welcome and enthusiastic participation, and for hosting Bocas Tobago’s readers, writers, and vendors.

Thank you to our programme partners, the Trinidad & Tobago Writers Guild, the Central Bank Museum, and Tobago Performing Arts Company.

To print partners Office Authority and Trinpad, and SIGNPOST®, thank you for supporting our four community festivals.

Bocas Tobago 2026 was the fourth and final in a series of one-day community literary and cultural festivals across Trinidad and Tobago — following Bocas Couva (July), Bocas Arima (August) and Bocas Siparia (September) — building on our Bocas Central, South, and Tobago festivals of past years.

Keep an eye on this space for photos and post-event coverage of Bocas Tobago, coming over the next few days!

09/10/2026

Shivanee Ramlochan and Marielle Forbes of Bocas Lit Fest chatted with Tobago Channel 5's Jumaane Cox about Bocas Tobago, the fourth and final in a series of one-day community literary and cultural festivals across T&T, presented by Methanex Trinidad.

🆓️Bocas Tobago is free and open to all
🗓️Saturday 10 October 🕞10 am–6 pm
📍Scarborough Public Library

BOCAS TOBAGO PROGRAMME:

🎊Welcome to Bocas Tobago, 10–10.30 am
📚’The Literatures of Tobago’ Exhibition: Tobago’s Literature across generations, 10 am–6 pm
👪Children’s ‘Stories from the Caravan’ and Writers Showcase, 10 am–12 pm
📚’Stories in Steel: Steelpan through Children’s Books 1982-2026’, 10 am–2 pm
📖Literary Tour of Tobago, with readings by Leroy George, Kleon McPherson, Mervyn O’Neil 10.30–11.30 am
🎙Book Club Corner Podcast: Karyn Forbes, Shaun Ajamu Hutchinson, Marsha King-Bernard, Karen Thomas, 11 am–12.20 pm
🎙Stand & Deliver Open Mic, with host Kleon McPherson, and featured reader Latoyaa Roberts, 11.30 am–12.30 pm
🗣Who Have Speech?! Speech Band Workshop for children, with Deborah Moore-Miggins 12–2 pm
🎙Youth Spoken Word Workshop with Askala George 12–2 pm
🎙First Mic, Season 6, presented by TT Writers Guild 12.15–1.15 pm
🗣Voices of Tobago: with Jannine Horsford, Eric Powder, Sarah Dass, Ifarounke Deidre Prescod, and host Jewel Greene, 12.30–2 pm
🗣Take Three: Margaret Hinkson, Clement G. Williams, Mervyn O’Neil ,and host Leroy George, 2–3 pm
✨️’Turn of the Tide’ Showcase with Jared Prima and Eastlyn McKenzie,3–4.15 pm
🗣Youth Spoken Word Competition, 4.30–6 pm
🛍Booksellers 10 am–6 pm

✍️Bocas Tobago 2026 builds on Bocas Couva (July), Bocas Arima (August) and Bocas Siparia (September), and on our Bocas Central, South, and Tobago festivals of past years. We look forward to connecting with even more reading and writing communities across T&T.



Tobago Library Services

09/10/2026

Bocas Lit Fest's Georgia Popplewell and Melvina Hazard chatted with Tobago Updates' Natalie Sealy-Richardson this morning about Bocas Tobago, the fourth and final in a series of one-day community literary and cultural festivals across T&T, presented by Methanex Trinidad.

🆓️Bocas Tobago is free and open to all
🗓️Saturday 10 October 🕞10 am–6 pm
📍Scarborough Public Library

BOCAS TOBAGO PROGRAMME:

🎊Welcome to Bocas Tobago, 10–10.30 am
📚’The Literatures of Tobago’ Exhibition: Tobago’s Literature across generations, 10 am–6 pm
👪Children’s ‘Stories from the Caravan’ and Writers Showcase, 10 am–12 pm
📚’Stories in Steel: Steelpan through Children’s Books 1982-2026’, 10 am–2 pm
📖Literary Tour of Tobago, with readings by Leroy George, Kleon McPherson, Mervyn O’Neil 10.30–11.30 am
🎙Book Club Corner Podcast: Karyn Forbes, Shaun Ajamu Hutchinson, Marsha King-Bernard, Karen Thomas, 11 am–12.20 pm
🎙Stand & Deliver Open Mic, with host Kleon McPherson, and featured reader Latoyaa Roberts, 11.30 am–12.30 pm
🗣Who Have Speech?! Speech Band Workshop for children, with Deborah Moore-Miggins 12–2 pm
🎙Youth Spoken Word Workshop with Askala George 12–2 pm
🎙First Mic, Season 6, presented by TT Writers Guild 12.15–1.15 pm
🗣Voices of Tobago: with Jannine Horsford, Eric Powder, Sarah Dass, Ifarounke Deidre Prescod, and host Jewel Greene, 12.30–2 pm
🗣Take Three: Margaret Hinkson, Clement G. Williams, Mervyn O’Neil ,and host Leroy George, 2–3 pm
✨️’Turn of the Tide’ Showcase with Jared Prima and Eastlyn McKenzie,3–4.15 pm
🗣Youth Spoken Word Competition, 4.30–6 pm
🛍Booksellers 10 am–6 pm

✍️Bocas Tobago 2026 builds on Bocas Couva (July), Bocas Arima (August) and Bocas Siparia (September), and on our Bocas Central, South, and Tobago festivals of past years. We look forward to connecting with even more reading and writing communities across T&T.



Tobago Library Services

09/10/2026

“At this, our final Methanex community festival of 2026, we celebrate yet another robust programme, designed to reach and serve writers and readers of all ages. The spirit of collaboration runs through these festivals, from Couva to Arima, Siparia to Tobago. We encourage Tobagonians to attend in their numbers, to celebrate what is abundantly clear: Tobago’s literary past, present, and future, are in good hands — the hands of Tobagonians themselves. Bocas Lit Fest is grateful to underscore this truth,” said Shivanee Ramlochan, Festival and Programme Manager of the Bocas Lit Fest, in today's Trinidad Express Newspapers.

Bocas Tobago is free and open to all.
🗓️Saturday 10 October 🕞10 am–6 pm
📍Scarborough Public Library

✍️Presented by Methanex Trinidad, Bocas Tobago 2026 builds on Bocas Couva (July), Bocas Arima (August) and Bocas Siparia (September), and on our Bocas Central, South, and Tobago festivals of past years. We look forward to connecting with even more reading and writing communities across T&T.



Tobago Library Services Trinidad & Tobago Writers Guild

08/10/2026

📣 It's all happening at Bocas Tobago! Readings, discussions, spoken word, workshops, storytelling, art, and more, Shivanee Ramlochan, Festival and Programming Manager, and Marielle Forbes, Youth Programming and Hospitality Manager, chatted with Marlan Hopkinson of CCN TV6: Trinidad and Tobago Morning Edition about Bocas Tobago, the fourth and final in a series of one-day community literary and cultural festivals across T&T, presented by Methanex Trinidad.

🆓️Free and open to all✨️
🗓️Saturday 10 October 🕞10 am–6 pm
📍Scarborough Public Library

BOCAS TOBAGO PROGRAMME:
🎊Welcome to Bocas Tobago, 10–10.30 am
📚’The Literatures of Tobago’ Exhibition: Tobago’s Literature across generations, 10 am–6 pm
👪Children’s ‘Stories from the Caravan’ and Writers Showcase, 10 am–12 pm
📚’Stories in Steel: Steelpan through Children’s Books 1982-2026’, 10 am–2 pm
📖Literary Tour of Tobago, with readings by Leroy George, Kleon McPherson, Mervyn O’Neil 10.30–11.30 am
🎙Book Club Corner Podcast: Karyn Forbes, Shaun Ajamu Hutchinson, Marsha King-Bernard, Karen Thomas, 11 am–12.20 pm
🎙Stand & Deliver Open Mic, with host Kleon McPherson, and featured reader Latoyaa Roberts, 11.30 am–12.30 pm
🗣Who Have Speech?! Speech Band Workshop for children, with Deborah Moore-Miggins 12–2 pm
🎙Youth Spoken Word Workshop with Askala George 12–2 pm
🎙First Mic, Season 6, presented by TT Writers Guild 12.15–1.15 pm
🗣Voices of Tobago: with Jannine Horsford, Eric Powder, Sarah Dass, Ifarounke Deidre Prescod, and host Jewel Greene, 12.30–2 pm
🗣Take Three: Margaret Hinkson, Clement G. Williams, Mervyn O’Neil ,and host Leroy George, 2–3 pm
✨️’Turn of the Tide’ Showcase with Jared Prima and Eastlyn McKenzie,3–4.15 pm
🗣Youth Spoken Word Competition, 4.30–6 pm
🛍Booksellers 10 am–6 pm

✍️Bocas Tobago 2026 builds on Bocas Couva (July), Bocas Arima (August) and Bocas Siparia (September) and our Bocas Central, South, and Tobago festivals of past years, and we are excited to connect with even more reading & writing communities across T&T.



Tobago Library Services Trinidad & Tobago Writers Guild

08/10/2026

Bocas Siparia wrapped on Saturday 26 September as a wonderful success and we thank each and every one who braved the rain and brilliant sunshine to join us at Iere High School, on Saturday 26 September, for a day of words, stories, and ideas!

We’d like to send a special shout out to Iere High School — to Principal Umraw, Vice Principal Kokaram-Khan, music teacher Mr. Ince, and Head of English department Mrs. Matadeen. Thank you for your warm welcome and enthusiastic participation, and for hosting Bocas Siparia’s readers, writers, and vendors.

Here are a few more festival moments from Bocas Siparia, and we look forward to Bocas Tobago in October, our fourth and final community festival for 2026.

Presented by Methanex Trinidad, Bocas Siparia was the third in a series of four one-day community literary and cultural festivals across Trinidad and Tobago, and together with Bocas Tobago coming up in October, builds on the regional festivals we hosted in the past: Bocas Couva 2026, Bocas Central in Chaguanas in 2013, Bocas South in San Fernando in 2013, 2014, 2015 and with Carifesta XIV, SAPA in 2019, and several editions of Bocas Tobago — as well as our longstanding programmes like the Bocas Children’s Storytelling Caravan, and school tours that have taken spoken word and other literary arts to secondary schools the length and breadth of the country. We are excited to connect with even more reading and writing communities across T&T.

Photography by Shaun Rambaran and Sataish Rampersad of Forge Business Imagery, official 2026 Bocas Lit Fest photographers.



Iere High School- "Official School Page"

08/10/2026

Shout out to our Bocas Siparia vendors! Thank you for delighting our attendees with your bookish treasures and artistic creations, and for energising and refreshing us all with delicious food and beverages: Paper Based Bookshop, Scribbles and Quills, For the love of reading TT, Bold Print Book Shop, ALTA TT, Crotchetret, Body Frosting, Eco Truffles, Soap Shack, Jada Proxy Studio Face Painting, Iere High School cafeteria, BJ BBQ & Catering Services, H&K Sweet Delights (sno cone), and Savie’s Treats.

Bocas Siparia was the third in a series of four one-day community literary and cultural festivals across Trinidad and Tobago, and was held at Iere High School on Saturday 26 September, 2026.

Presented by Methanex Trinidad, Bocas Siparia in September and Bocas Tobago coming up in October build on the regional festivals we hosted in the past: Bocas Couva 2026, Bocas Central in Chaguanas in 2013, Bocas South in San Fernando in 2013, 2014, 2015 and with Carifesta XIV, SAPA in 2019, and several editions of Bocas Tobago — as well as our longstanding programmes like the Bocas Children’s Storytelling Caravan, and school tours that have taken spoken word and other literary arts to secondary schools the length and breadth of the country. We are excited to connect with even more reading and writing communities across T&T.

Photography by Shaun Rambaran and Sataish Rampersad of Forge Business Imagery, official 2026 Bocas Lit Fest photographers.