Kellie Magnus looks ahead to the exciting Caribbean literary festivals across the diaspora in 2025
The best way to get to know the Caribbean is to visit as many countries as you can. The second-best way? Experiencing the richness and diversity of the region through its literature.
There’s an increasing number of opportunities to do both. This year boasts a startlingly full calendar of literary festivals and book fairs that can keep you country-hopping and page-turning all year round.
The organising teams behind the festivals are as diverse as their literary offerings — from state-sponsored sprawling extravaganzas like the Havana International Book Fair, to volunteer-led initiatives like the newly minted Jamaica Book Festival.
The common bond lies in their origin stories: each event spurred by a commitment to celebrating Caribbean literature and a desire to connect writers in the region to larger audiences, local and international.
As Caribbean literature continues to gain worldwide recognition, the Caribbean concentration of writers in major festivals in the United States has grown larger and more consistent. Brooklyn, arguably the capital of the Caribbean diaspora, is home to its own Caribbean literary festival that draws readers and writers from across the US and the region.
Each festival has a style and flavour of its own, offering up a mix of Caribbean and international authors, panel discussions, musical events, workshops and seminars to suit the needs of aspiring writers and general readers alike.
Some have already taken place and should be on your radar for next year, like the Hay Festival Cartagena, Colombia (January–February); and the Havana International Book Fair, Cuba (February).
Dates noted here for those going forward are tentative, so check the organisers’ websites frequently for updated schedules and author confirmations.
USVI Lit Fest and Book Fair
St Croix, US Virgin Islands
10–13 April
usvilitfest.com
Bocas Lit Fest
Trinidad & Tobago
1–4 May
bocaslitfest.com
Calabash International Literary Festival
Treasure Beach, Jamaica
23–25 May
calabashfestival.org
Book Fairy Festival
Kingston, Jamaica
11–14 July
bookfairyfestival.com
Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival
Brooklyn, New York, USA
5–8 September
bklyncbeanlitfest.org
Brooklyn Book Festival
Brooklyn, New York, USA
21–28 September
brooklynbookfestival.com
BVI Literary Festival
Tortola, British Virgin Islands
6–9 November
bvilitfest.com
The International Book Fair Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
6–16 November
Miami Book Fair
Miami, Florida, USA
16–23 November
miamibookfair.com
Gimistory International Storytelling Festival
23 November–1 December
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Jamaica Book Festival
Kingston, Jamaica
4–7 December
jamaicabookfest.com