Robert Edison Sandiford is one of the non-fiction judges for the 2018 OCM Bocas Prize.

The NGC Bocas Lit Fest in Trinidad and Tobago administers the annual award, which recognizes the best books of poetry, fiction, and literary non-fiction published in English in the previous calendar year by a writer of Caribbean birth or citizenship living anywhere in the world. Entries are made by publishers, though judges may request other published titles for consideration.

The annual literary award, now open for entries, carries a cash prize of US$10,000 for the overall winner, with two prizes of US$3,000 for the category winners. These are sponsored by One Caribbean Media.

Every year, the prize has ten judges in all, distinguished writers, scholars and publishing professionals. There are three judges for each category, including a chair who will form part of the final judging panel of four persons, the fourth being the overall judge. For 2018, the head judge will be the Poet Laureate of Jamaica, Lorna Goodison.

The other two Bocas Prize non-fiction judges are Judy Raymond and Jeremy Taylor.

The reading period runs from November to February. The judges come up with a shortlist of three books and then the winner in each category.

The winning title in each category will be judged for the award of best title of the year, to be announced in April at the festival.

For more information on the award, please visit:

http://www.bocaslitfest.com/2017/awards/the-ocm-bocas-prize-for-caribbean-literature/