The Virgin Islands Literary Festival and Book Fair will return April 9 through April 12 for its 12th annual gathering, bringing together writers, scholars, students, educators, and readers under a theme that organizers say speaks directly to the power of Caribbean storytelling. This year’s festival, themed “Caribbean Literature: A Force of Representation,” will also coincide with the 40th anniversary of The Caribbean Writer, adding another major milestone to one of the region’s best-known literary events.
Founded at the University of the Virgin Islands’ College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, the festival is now presented in partnership with The Caribbean Writer under the auspices of the St. Croix Foundation for Community Development. Over the years, the event has grown into what organizers describe as one of the Caribbean’s leading literary gatherings, highlighting regional voices while connecting the Virgin Islands to the wider literary world.
“We are delighted to celebrate our 12th year,” said VILF Chairperson Alscess Lewis-Brown, editor of The Caribbean Writer. “This year is especially meaningful as the festival coincides with the 40th anniversary of The Caribbean Writer, the University’s internationally respected literary journal.”
The four-day festival will feature author readings, panel discussions, workshops, school visits, and cultural events intended to engage readers, students, educators, and aspiring writers.
The opening day on Thursday will begin with author visits to schools on St. Croix, followed by scholarly paper presentations from writers whose work was selected through The Caribbean Writer’s call for papers. That evening, an opening reception is scheduled for Government House.
Friday’s lineup will feature keynote panels and interactive workshops, giving participants the opportunity to engage directly with authors, scholars, and publishing professionals. The day will conclude with the Book Bacchanal at the Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts, where members of the public will be invited to meet award-winning writers and hear them read from their work.
Saturday’s program begins at 7 a.m. with the Bush Tea Morning Social, described as a lively cultural gathering featuring traditional bush tea, Caribbean cuisine, poetry, music, and conversation. The rest of the day will include panel discussions, workshops, a special film screening, and book-signing opportunities at Undercover Books & Gifts. The evening is set to close with an Ekphrastic Poetry Competition at Cane Roots Art Gallery in Times Square.
The festival will conclude on Sunday with the Children’s LitFest at the Children’s Museum of St. Croix, followed by the online Writers’ Roogoodoo, a virtual gathering where writers, particularly those published in The Caribbean Writer, will share their work with audiences around the world.
Lewis-Brown said the festival continues to serve as an important platform for Virgin Islands writers while helping build stronger literary ties throughout the Caribbean and beyond.
“The festival showcases local writers and thinkers while building bridges across the region and the world,” Lewis-Brown said. “It also provides meaningful opportunities for emerging authors to share their work and expand the region’s creative output.”
Organizers said the event offers students, teachers, and aspiring writers uncommon access to accomplished authors, scholars, and publishers through workshops, readings, and discussions meant to encourage both creativity and critical thinking.
Each year, the festival draws approximately 300 participants, representing a range of ages, professions, and cultural backgrounds. Organizers say that mix helps deepen community engagement while building networks that stretch beyond the Virgin Islands into regional and international literary circles.
One of the major highlights of the 2026 festival will be the appearance of award-winning novelist Edwidge Danticat, who first published in The Caribbean Writer in 1987. Lewis-Brown said Danticat’s participation carries special meaning this year.
“Her journey—from early publication in The Caribbean Writer to global literary acclaim—demonstrates what is possible for emerging writers,” Lewis-Brown said.
Other authors scheduled to participate in the 2026 festival are Channa Bannis, Desmond Hall, Vashti Harrison, Donna Hemans, David Knight Jr., Kelly Starling Lyons, Marsha Messiah, Breanna J. McDaniel, Annie Paul, Shaun Pennington, Leon Perkins, Raven Phillips, Kenneth Ramchand, Nanda Reddy, Etaf Rum, Cathy Mae Sitaram, Louise Stapleton and Richard Warburg. Author biographies are available at www.usvilitfest.com.
The festival is being supported by a wide group of community partners and sponsors, including the St. Croix Foundation for Community Development; The Buccaneer Hotel; the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism; the University of the Virgin Islands College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences; UVI Cooperative Extension Service; UVI Research and Technology Park; the Virgin Islands Department of Education’s Division of Cultural Education and Division of Curriculum and Instruction; Diageo; the VI Lottery; The Virgin Islands Daily News; the Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts; and The Caribbean Writer.
Organizers are also welcoming community donations, both monetary and in-kind, to support the territory’s literary tradition. Contributions may be made payable to the St. Croix Foundation for Community Development on behalf of the VI Literary Festival.
The 2026 event schedule includes Author Visits to Schools and Scholarly Paper Presentations on Thursday, April 9, in St. Croix, followed by the Opening Reception at Government House. On Friday, April 10, Keynote Panels and Workshops will take place at the UVI St. Croix Campus, followed by Book Bacchanal Author Readings at the Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts. Saturday, April 11, will feature the Bush Tea Morning Social at the festival venue, Panels, Workshops and Film Screening at the UVI St. Croix Campus, Book Signings at Undercover Books & Gifts, and the Ekphrastic Poetry Competition at Cane Roots Art Gallery. The festival wraps up Sunday, April 12, with Children’s LitFest at the Children’s Museum of St. Croix and Writers’ Roogoodoo, a virtual event held online.
For more information, the public can visit www.usvilitfest.com or email [email protected]. Tickets will be available soon on Eventbrite.
Media inquiries are being handled by the University of the Virgin Islands Office of Public Relations at [email protected] or (340) 693-1059.
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