From left to right: author Jennifer Keats Curtis with CFVI leaders Beth Nuttall and Sonia Barnes-Moorhead, alongside scholarship recipient Twanna Hodge. Photo Credit: CFVI.
The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) proudly represented the U.S. Virgin Islands at the 2025 National Book Festival, bringing the territory’s culture and literature to a national stage.
CFVI staff, joined by four scholarship recipients, welcomed festival visitors from across the United States and its territories. Their participation focused on sharing the spirit, heritage, and stories of the Virgin Islands while engaging directly with readers and celebrating the importance of literature.
Adding to the Virgin Islands’ presence at the festival was young adult author Jennifer Keats Curtis. Curtis, an award-winning writer of 28 books dedicated to making science accessible for young audiences, co-authored Lizard Lady, a book highlighting the critically endangered St. Croix ground lizard.
Lizard Lady was selected by the Library of Congress’s Center for the Book as one of the 2025 “Great Reads from Great Places.” The title introduces readers to the conservation efforts surrounding the rare reptile while weaving in themes of science and environmental awareness.
CFVI’s participation spoke to the territory's commitment to elevating local voices and stories in national literary conversations, while Curtis’s work connected conservation and education to the festival’s broader celebration of storytelling.
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