The Caribbean Writer (TCW), a publication of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at the University of the Virgin Islands, has issued its call for submissions for Volume 41 under the 2026 theme: “Routes, Roots and Returns: The Tides We Carry.”
Routes, Roots and Returns: The Tides We Carry explores the journey of discovering where we belong, tracing the paths we travel and the connections that anchor us, even from a distance. This theme invites creative reflection on movement - both physical and emotional - and how memories, heritage, and the places we call home ebb and flow like tides in our lives. Explore the ways in which departures and arrivals shape identity, and how returning can bring both comfort and transformation. We invite you to explore this theme in all its permutations.
Contributors may submit works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, essays, or one-act plays that explore the ideas resonating within the region and its diaspora. The Caribbean should be central to the work, or the work should reflect a Caribbean heritage, experience, or perspective. Prospective authors should submit in Word format only, applying the Modern Language Association (MLA) style guide, through the online portal www.thecaribbeanwriter.org/online-submission.
Note: The Caribbean Writer is a refereed journal; there are no fees payable to submit or publish in the journal, and all submissions undergo an initial blind review by the editor. TCW does not accept hardcopy submissions.
All submissions are eligible for annual prizes, including The Daily News Prize, The Marvin E. Williams Literary Prize, The Vincent Cooper Literary Prize, and The Anacaona Prize.
For more information, contact The Caribbean Writer at thecaribbeanwriter@uvi.edu
