The 2026 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature has been open for submissions and the deadline is looming; books must be delivered to the Bocas Lit Fest by Friday, January 2, 2026. Now in its 16th year, the prize celebrates books of fiction, poetry, and literary nonfiction by writers of Caribbean birth/citizenship. Submissions are welcome for original, English-language works, first published between January 1 and December 31, 2025. [See submission guidelines at http://bocaslitfest.com/awards/ocm/.]
Description: 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
Read more about the prize and past winners at https://www.bocaslitfest.com/awards/ocm/
The 2026 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature has been open for submissions and the deadline is looming; books must be delivered to the Bocas Lit Fest by Friday, January 2, 2026. Now in its 16th year, the prize celebrates books of fiction, poetry, and literary nonfiction by writers of Caribbean birth/citizenship. Submissions are welcome