UEA writer awarded top international literary prize
By: Communications
A creative writing professor from the University of East Anglia has been awarded one of the most prestigious honours in Caribbean literature for her deeply personal memoir.
Prof Tessa McWatt received the honour for her memoir The Snag: A Mother, a Forest, and Wild Grief, which explores climate grief, personal loss and memory.
The OCM Bocas Prize is widely regarded as the leading international award for Caribbean writing. It recognises outstanding books by authors from the region and Caribbean communities around the world - together numbering more than nine million people.
Prof McWatt, who is originally from Guyana and grew up in Canada, is an established writer and researcher and is the author of multiple novels, works of non-fiction and books for young people. She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2021.
Her award-winning memoir reflects deeply on her mother’s experience of dementia, examines our collective grief over environmental destruction and explores the themes of care and renewal.
Speaking about the win, Prof McWatt said: “Winning the Bocas Prize has been a real joy, as it feels like a win for my mother, who is the central figure in the book and my heart's inspiration.
“My book was shortlisted alongside the work of two brilliant writers of international acclaim, Canisia Lubrin and Justin Haynes. I feel honoured to have been in their company.”
McWatt’s work often brings together creative writing with wider social and cultural questions, including identity, inequality and community, drawing on interdisciplinary approaches.
Reflecting on her role at UEA, Prof McWatt said: “At UEA I am part of a school of writers and scholars of writing who are among the best in the country. I'm influenced by their excellence and do my best to bring that excellence into the classroom.”
She also shared advice for aspiring writers, saying: “My advice to other writers is always the same - write your truth, don't stop.”
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