The OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature
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ABOUT THE PRIZE
The OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature is an annual award for literary books by Caribbean writers, first presented in 2011. Books are judged in three categories: poetry; fiction — both novels and collections of short stories; and literary nonfiction — including books of essays, biography and autobiography, history, current affairs, travel, and other genres, which demonstrate literary qualities and use literary techniques, regardless of subject matter.
There is a panel of three judges for each genre category, who determine category shortlists and winners.
The three category winners are then judged by a panel of four judges — consisting of the chairs of the category panels and the prize chair — who determine the overall winner.
The author of the book judged the overall winner will receive an award of US$10,000. The other category winners will receive US$3,000.
Please click here to find out more about the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature
2025 WINNER
Village Weavers, a novel by Myriam J.A. Chancy
Poetry winner:
Polkadot Wounds, by Anthony Vahni Capildeo
Nonfiction winner:
Salvage: Readings from the Wreck, by Dionne Brand
Photos from Previous Years
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on behalf of her sister Dionne Brand to receive the nonfiction prize for Brand’s ‘Salvage: Readings
from the Wreck’
stands between Dawn Thomas (R), Group CEO,
One Caribbean Media Limited, and Marina Salandy-Brown, Founder and President
of Bocas Lit Fest
an archaeologist of your lungs.” Anthony Vahni
Capildeo reads from their 2025 OCM Bocas Poetry
Prize winning collection, Polkadot Wounds
Videos from Previous Years
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05.05.2025
Mrs. Dawn Thomas, CEO of OCM, speaking at the BOCAS Lit Fest Prize Giving Ceremony
05.05.2025
Award presentation to poetry winner Anthony Vahni Capildeo, featuring a reading from her winning book, Polkadot Wounds
05.05.2025
Award presentation to overall and fiction winner Myriam J.A. Chancy, featuring a reading from her winning novel, Village Weavers
05.05.2025
Award presentation to nonfiction winner Dionne Brand’s sister, Marcia Romain, featuring a reading from her winning book, Salvage: Readings from the Wreck, by 2019 OCM award winner Kevin Adonis Browne
26.03.2025
Marcus Chin-Aleong, Group Marketing Manager of OCM, speaking at the BOCAS Lit Fest Launch