Where Caribbean stories meet the world
The BVI Literary Arts Festival — affectionately known as the BVI Lit Fest — is where the Virgin Islands meets the world through the power of words. Each year in November, our shores become a stage for writers, poets, publishers and book lovers to gather in celebration of literature, culture and community.
Founded in 2021 by the Department of Culture in partnership with H. Lavity Stoutt Community College, Lit Fest is a living conversation. The 2026 edition brings more than 30 speakers to Tortola under the theme “Mouth Open, Story Jump Out”.
Festival Schedule
WHO TELL IT BEST: Voice, Page, and Screen
How do stories travel? From oral traditions and poetry performances to novels, films, and visual storytelling, this conversation explores the many ways Caribbean stories find life and audience. Panelists will discuss storytelling as performance, adaptation, and cultural memory, followed by a conversation about Cow Foot Woman film project and the process of bringing stories from page to screen.
Minds Wide Open: Mental Health, Memory & Caribbean Storytelling
Reading: Excerpts of madness in Caribbean literature This panel explores how stories are the site in which memory lives, healing begins, and difficult truths find a voice.
The Story Inside the Song: Orality, Music & Literature
What happens when story becomes song, and song becomes story? This panel explores the enduring dialogue between oral tradition, musical expression, and the written word across the BVI musical tradition.
IN BIG PEOPLE BUSINESS: Voices for Young Adults
This panel explores the pivotal role that stories of identity, belonging, and relationships play in shaping our journey from adolescence to adulthood
Writers’ Welcome Reception
Government HouseVoices Over the Water
Etaf Rum in conversation with Richard Georges
Acclaimed Palestinian American writer Etaf Rum joins us for a powerful conversation on storytelling and literary advocacy. Drawing from her novel Evil Eye, Rum will speak about how her narrative explores the complexities of family, intergenerational trauma, and the Palestinian diaspora.
Razor Blades
Government HouseSTORY MARKET: Book Fair
Auditorium landingWHAT TOMORROW SAY: Island Imaginations
From climate change and technology to folklore and imagined worlds, Caribbean writers use speculative fiction to reimagine what island futures might become.
SAY IT: Poetry & Voice
In the '70s, Puerto Rican poets living in NYC gave birth to a Spoken Word style that defined an identity and a culture. Since then, the form has dispersed throughout the world, continuing to inspire, challenge and connect communities.
THE ISLAND SPEAKS: Place as Character
Islands are more than settings; they are living presences that shape identity, memory and destiny.
MACHINE MOUTH: AI and the Future of Storytelling
This panel explores how AI is transforming the way we write, read, publish, and imagine literature, raising questions about creativity, authorship, and authenticity.
FRESH MOUTH: Fellows in Conversation
Join the recipients of last year’s writing fellowship as they reflect on their creative journey and share what it means to find and strengthen their literary voices.
NO NANCY STORY: Investigating the Islands
This panel addresses the challenges, responsibilities, and impact of investigative reporting in small island societies.
Sunset Stories
Brandywine Estate RestaurantLove Forms and Love Songs
Join acclaimed authors Claire Adam and Ingrid Persaud as they explore the many forms that love can take, from passion and friendship to family, longing, sacrifice, and survival. Featuring Claire Adam and Ingrid Persaud with Dr. Sauda Smith, and introducing Dominique deCastro. Part of the Sunset Stories evening.
DJ/Afters at the Bay
Brandywine RestaurantSTORY MARKET: Book Fair
Main Building (Atrium)Literary Wonderland: Children’s Programme
This year's children's programme celebrates the power of storytelling with hands-on activities, readings, and crafts inspired by children's book authors and the rich cultural expressions of local writers and artists. Free books, bouncy house fun, and delicious treats will make this a literary celebration to remember. Featuring GIS representatives.
Writing Fiction for Young Adults
What makes a story resonate with young readers long after they turn the final page? In this interactive workshop, acclaimed author Lilliam Rivera shares insights into crafting compelling young adult fiction, exploring character, voice, world-building, and themes that matter most to today's teens.
Speaking Truth: A Workshop in Journalism
Great journalism begins with curiosity, integrity, and the courage to ask difficult questions. In this hands-on session, participants will explore the fundamentals of reporting, interviewing, fact-checking, and storytelling, learning how journalists uncover the truth and transform information into impactful stories.
Lyrical Voices: A Poetry Workshop
Poetry begins with voice, and comes alive through rhythm, imagery, and imagination. In this workshop, participants will explore the craft, experimenting with language, sound and rhythm, to discover and strengthen their lyrical voice.
KRIK? KRAK? The Short Story and the Oral Tradition
This hands-on short story workshop is for writers wanting to draw on the Caribbean’s oral tradition and what happens when they move from voice to page. Novelist Ingrid Persaud leads participants through close reading of a short model text followed by a generative writing exercise with small-group feedback. Suitable for writers with some prior experience. Bring pen and paper. No laptops.
From Voice to Screen: A Workshop on Visual Storytelling
In this interactive workshop, participants will explore the fundamentals of screenwriting, from crafting compelling characters and dialogue to building scenes, structure, and visual storytelling.
FROM PEN TO PRINT: A Guide to Publishing in the Age of AI
What happens after the final draft? This panel maps the journey of stories through editing, publishing, and promotion to reach their audience. It examines how writers and industry professionals shape narratives that resonate, sell, and stay with readers.
Art Panel
Sponsored by Taste the BVI.
Light a Fire: Poets’ Showcase
As the sun sets, words ignite. Light a Fire brings together poets whose verses spark reflection, resistance, and renewal. In this evening's reading (7:00–9:00 PM), voices rise to illuminate the quiet and kindle connection, proof that even the shortest lines can burn bright. Music by Brent Hoyte (DJ).
Afterparty
Loose MongooseBook Brunch
Pull up a chair and share a meal with the minds behind the stories! Our brunch with the writers offers an intimate, roundtable experience where festival-goers can engage in casual conversation with two writers per table. Come, connect, ask questions, and be inspired.
Made possible by
Government of the Virgin Islands
