I can’t say enough about how much I needed the recently concluded NGC Bocas Lit Fest 2023 in my life. Yes, it’s always such a joy to be back home in Trinidad, to hug up my mummy and brother, to link with other family members as well as my day ones, and to just have my feet on the soil where, as longtime folks would say, my navel string is buried. But being there for this year’s Festival, which returned in person after four years, also filled my writer’s heart and creative soul.

It was a beautiful space to connect with fellow literary creatives who assembled in Port of Spain in recognition and celebration of Caribbean literature and other forms of creative expression. From discussions on wide-ranging themes such as love, family, identity, and loss; panels on poetry, memoirs, and short stories; showcases featuring new authors and phenomenal young storytellers; to films, a kiddies carnival jump up, an ole mas competition, and a riveting award ceremony, there was so much to take in — and all of that in addition to the absolute pleasure of presenting on writing for children and then having a roundtable discussion during the Children’s Lit Fest with Alake Pilgrim, Lisa Allen-Agostini, and young authors Coryn Clarke and Isaac Price. 

So, thank you to Bocas Lit Fest and all the planners, coordinators, executors, participants, and attendees with whom I had the privilege of engaging over those three enriching days. The experience was spectacular!

You can view pictures from the Festival on my Photos page.