The Virgin Islands will become a hub of Caribbean storytelling next week as BVI Lit Fest 2026 returns from Thursday, November 5 2026, to Sunday, November 8, 2026, bringing authors, poets, publishers and readers together for four days of conversation, performance and celebration. Photo: BVI Lit Fest

Readers, writers and cultural travellers across the Caribbean are being encouraged to participate in the BVI Lit Fest in Tortola and on Beef Island. Photo: BVI LIT Feast

Dr Richard E. Georges, President of H. Lavity Stoutt Community College, said the festival is intended to connect writers and readers throughout the region. Photo: HLSCC

Readers, writers, and cultural travellers across the Caribbean are being encouraged to participate in the BVI Lit Fest on Tortola and on Beef Island. 

Hosted by H. Lavity Stoutt Community College under the theme “Mouth Open, Story Jump Out”, the festival promises more than readings and panel discussions. It will pair literature with food, music, sunset views, and island venues, creating a programme designed to feel as much like a regional gathering as a literary event.

Stories From Sunset to Sunrise

The festival begins on Thursday, November 5, 2026, with the Writers’ Welcome Reception at Allamanda Estate on Beef Island, from 6:00 to 10:00 PM.

On Friday, November 6, 2026, Sunset Stories will unfold at Brandywine Estate Restaurant in Tortola, where evening conversation and readings will be set against the island’s sunset backdrop. The following night, Saturday, November 7, 2026, Light A Fire: Poets’ Showcase brings spoken word and live poetry to Loose Mongoose on Beef Island, from 6:00 to 10:00 PM.

The weekend closes on Sunday, November 8, with the Book Brunch at 1748 Restaurant, Long Bay Beach Resort, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The brunch will also announce the winners of the 2026 Writing Competition and reveal the theme for BVI Lit Fest 2027.

A Line-Up Across the Region

This year’s featured authors include Etaf Rum, Claire Adam and Ingrid Persaud, whose work spans contemporary fiction, Caribbean identity and stories of migration, family and belonging. 

The poetry programme features Anthony Joseph, Safiyya Chance, Johanna Gibson and Yara Liceaga. Derron Sandy will host the Saturday poetry showcase, while Marsha Massiah will guide the Sunday Book Brunch.

Workshops for Emerging Voices

Aspiring writers will also have the chance to sharpen their craft during workshops on Saturday, November 7, 2026. Sessions will cover poetry, journalism, young adult fiction, oral tradition, visual storytelling and publishing.

Dr Richard E. Georges, President of H. Lavity Stoutt Community College, said the festival is intended to connect writers and readers throughout the region.

“We want this festival to feel like a gathering of the whole region,” he said. “Writers from across the Caribbean are coming to the British Virgin Islands to share their work, and we want readers from across the Caribbean to come and listen.”