The CariCon Literary Awards, hosted in June, serve as a highlight of the CARICON conference, adding a touch of prestige and celebration to the event. These awards aim to honor the best works of Caribbean literature and acknowledge the remarkable talents within the Caribbean literary community.
How To Apply

2025 CARICON Prize Nominees + Winner

Meet the incredible authors from this year’s five winners of The CariCon Prize and discover the amazing story behind each book.

About

The CariCon Literary Awards, hosted in June, serve as a highlight of the CARICON conference, adding a touch of prestige and celebration to the event. These awards aim to honor the best works of Caribbean literature and acknowledge the remarkable talents within the literary community.

The awards encompass a range of categories, including fiction, poetry, non-fiction, young adult literature, and more. Distinguished authors, poets, and literary figures from the Caribbean and the diaspora are nominated for these awards, with winners selected by a panel of esteemed judges.

The ceremony itself is a gala event, featuring presentations, performances, and speeches by the nominated authors and winners. It provides a platform for these literary luminaries to share their thoughts, inspirations, and insights into their works.

By recognizing and celebrating exceptional contributions to Caribbean literature, the CariCon Literary Awards not only honor the authors but also promote the rich literary traditions of the Caribbean to a global audience. It encourages literary excellence and inspires both established and emerging writers to continue making meaningful contributions to the world of letters.

Vision & Mission

The purpose of the CARICON literary awards is to encourage and highlight excellence in Caribbean literature, recognize authors of Caribbean works, and to facilitate production of literary works that reflect Caribbean culture, history, and heritage.

CATEGORIES of prizes for excellence in Caribbean literature:

  • CARICON Prize for Poetry
  • CARICON Prize for Fiction
  • CARICON Prize for Non-Fiction
  • CARICON Prize for Children’s Literature
  • CARICON Lifetime Achievement Award for Literature CA

HOW TO SUBMIT

Online:

Texts can on be submitted online at www.awards.cari-con.org. Participants must fill out the online registration form and submit their book text in pdf format. If you are unable to submit your content online, please contact the CARICON team to obtain an alternate form of entry.

All submissions must:

  • Be accompanied by the official entry form and the parental permission (electronic or print version) if applicable
  • Be submitted anonymously: the name of the entrant must not appear anywhere on the manuscript or galley to ensure the objectivity of the jury. 
  • Be double spaced, except for poetry texts
  • Be in a legible font and font size
  • Be submitted to the correct category during the entry period for that category


Restrictions:

  • All submissions are final: no changes or substitutions are allowed
  • No handwritten manuscripts or fax texts will be accepted
  • Editorial comments will not be given on the works


Fees:

A fee of $50.00 for administration purposes is required for each entry. The competition is 100% not-for-profit, with all fees going towards covering administrative costs, which include payment of readers and jurors of the competition. The entry fee will not be refunded if your submission is ineligible. All submissions are final: entry fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. 

Submission Deadlines

Competition opens: October 15th

Deadline: January 15th

Online submission: all works must be submitted and payments must be made on or before 11:59 PM (PT) on the day of the deadline.

Winners will be announced at the CariCon Awards in June.

Winners & Finalists

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