Two accomplished wordsmiths from Antigua and Barbuda, Amina Washington and Joanne C. Hillhouse, have earned coveted spots on the 2026 longlist for the Elizabeth Nunez Award for Writers in the Caribbean, marking a milestone for local literary talent in this prestigious regional short fiction competition. The official longlist, published earlier by the Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival (BCLF), confirms Washington was selected for her evocative short story “Elmo,” while Hillhouse secured her place with the compelling piece “Holiday J’ouvert.”
Now in its established run as an annual literary initiative, the competition was created to elevate and amplify unique literary voices rooted in the Caribbean. It opens submissions to both published and emerging unpublished authors who live and create work within Caribbean territories, joining a network of writers spanning 10 regional nations this year. Alongside the two Antigua and Barbuda creators, longlisted writers represent Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago, showcasing the breadth of storytelling talent across the Caribbean basin.
The award traces its origins back to 2019, when it launched as a program focused exclusively on unpublished writers of Caribbean descent based in the North American diaspora. Just one year later, in 2020, the initiative expanded to add a standalone prize dedicated specifically to writers residing and working within the Caribbean itself. Today, both competitions operate under the umbrella of BCLF’s annual Short Fiction Story Contest. A sister award, the Elizabeth Nunez Caribbean-American Writer’s Prize, caters to creators of Caribbean heritage based in the United States and Canada.
Both awards bear the name of the late Trinidadian-born novelist and professor Elizabeth Nunez, a towering figure in Caribbean-American literary circles. Nunez was a longstanding partner to the Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival and a tireless advocate for greater mainstream recognition of Caribbean and African American writers, leaving a legacy that the prize continues to honor.
Beyond celebrating exceptional storytelling craft, the festival frames the competition as a strategic platform to boost emerging and established writers’ visibility, connect them to global literary networks, and expand access to critical resources that can help advance their careers. With the longlist now finalized, Washington, Hillhouse and their fellow longlisted nominees are waiting for the next round of judging, which will narrow the field to select the 2026 prize winner.