Routes, Roots and Returns: The Tides We Carry

The Caribbean Writer (TCW), a publication of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of the Virgin Islands, has issued its call for submissions for Volume 41 under the 2027 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.

Submission Guidelines

Contributors may submit works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, essays or one act plays which 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 style guide, through the online portal www.thecaribbeanwriter.org/online-submission. Note that TCW does not accept hardcopy submissions.

Individuals may submit poems (3 maximum), short stories (2 maximum) and personal essays (2 maximum) on general topics as well as on the theme. The maximum length (for short stories and personal essays) is 3500 words. Only previously unpublished work will be considered. The term “previously published” covers print and electronic publication —including on social media platforms, and self-published items. The Caribbean Writer does not accept simultaneous submissions (items being considered for publication elsewhere). The prospective author should provide contact information including mailing address, phone number, any professional affiliations, brief biographical information (no more than 50 words and such as appears under the “Contributors” section of the journal). In the event that the author’s contact information changes, all updates should be made by the author by logging into the online account.

Submissions are accepted through December 19, 2026, and will be considered for the journal that will be published the following year (2027). (In other words, volume 40 will be published in 2026 and entries sent between today and December 19, 2026, will be considered for volume 41 (2027).

Before submitting, the writer should carefully edit and proofread the manuscript, adhering to publication-ready details, as well as standards of proofreading such as spelling, grammar, punctuation, formatting and consistent language, along with the elimination of typographical errors, and with focus on the overall quality of the work. The Caribbean Writer uses the MLA style guide.

Book Review Submission

Style and Audience Our readers include poets, writers, and others interested in literature. Reviews should be engaging and insightful. We encourage thoughtful critical commentary that captures the spirit of the book through well-chosen quotations. Include a page reference in parentheses for every quotation and follow

MLA citation style. If your review is substantially negative, please contact the editor before submitting it.

Length and Bibliographic Information: Reviews should not exceed 3,000 words. At the beginning of your review, include the following bibliographic information: Author, Translator (if applicable), Illustrator (if applicable), Book title, Publisher, Publisher’s location, Publication date, Number of pages. Format (hardcover or paperback), Price

Editorial Revision: Please note that all reviews are subject to editorial revision in accordance with the journal’s house style. Most submissions will receive edits for length and consistency. You will be notified of any substantive changes by email.

Where to Submit: Submit your review through the submissions portal at www.thecaribbeanwriter.org/online-submission. Upload the manuscript as a Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) file.

Title: Give your book review an original title. Do not use the book’s title as the title of your review.

Biography: Include a 50-word biography that mentions your academic background, including any publications.

Honorarium: Contributors will receive a complimentary copy of the anthology in appreciation of their work.

Artwork

Artists interested in having their artwork considered for use by TCW should submit electronic files in vertical format as PNG or JPEG files with a resolution of 300 dpi or greater. The journal also accepts black and white art (line drawings, sketches, block prints, etc.). The journal does not accept graphic poetry or narratives.

Before submitting, submitter should carefully edit and proofread the manuscript, adhering to publication-ready details, as well as standards of proofreading such as spelling, grammar, punctuation, formatting and consistent language, along with the elimination of typographical errors, and with focus on the overall quality of the work. The Caribbean Writer adheres to the  Modern Language Association (MLA) style guide.

The Caribbean Writer is a refereed journal. There are no fees payable to submit or publish in this journal. All submissions undergo an initial blind review by the editor. Creative works, such as fiction, poetry and drama, after editorial review, are advanced by the editor to the double-blind peer review process. In this process, both the reviewers’ and authors’ identities are concealed from the reviewers and vice versa throughout the review process.

Copyright

All authors and artists retain copyrights to their works. TCW asks to be credited as the first publisher when the authors’ and artists’ works are published somewhere else at a later time.

Artificial Intelligence Disclosure and Certification

Author certifies that no part of the Work was written, generated, translated, substantially revised, or otherwise completed using artificial intelligence, machine-learning software, large language models, generative text tools, or any similar technology, except as expressly disclosed to The Caribbean Writer in writing before publication of the affected submission.

For purposes of this section, “artificial intelligence” includes tools that generate, rewrite, translate, summarize, expand, or materially alter literary text. It does not include ordinary spelling, grammar, formatting, search, citation, accessibility, or word-processing tools, provided those tools do not generate or materially rewrite the work.

If Author has used any artificial intelligence tool in connection with the submission, Author must disclose in writing: the tool used, the material affected, the nature and extent of the use, and whether any AI-generated or AI-assisted text remains in the submission. The Caribbean Writer may then decide, in its sole discretion, whether the use or whether editor of The Caribbean Writer will decline or terminate publication.

Acceptance Notices

Note that a letter of acceptance does not indicate immediate publication since the editorial and production processes unfold over several months work to prepare a high-quality publication that reflects the excellence of the pieces selected. Submit Word files at www.thecaribbeanwriter.org/online-submissions/

Submission Window

Submissions for volume 41 are accepted immediately through December 19, 2026.

For more information, contact The Caribbean Writer at thecaribbeanwriter@uvi.edu