When the Calabash International Literary Festival returns to the warm sands of Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, 23-25 May, it will bounce to the theme ‘Bless Up’, a phrase expressing and giving gratitude.

With a stellar line-up that includes four winners of the Booker Prize, the festival’s gratitude coffers are indeed very full.

The 2025 line-up promises an extraordinary experience that will satisfy the literary tastes of the Jamaican and international audience that flock to the island’s shore for the biennial festival.

In this remarkable assembly of literary talent is Sri Lankan-born, Canadian Michael Ondaatje, winner of the 1992 Booker Prize for The English Patient.

Ondaatje’s diverse literary contributions span several novels, books of poetry, a memoir, and non-fiction books.

Also hailing from Sri Lanka is Shehan Karunatilaka, winner of the 2022 Booker Prize for his second novel, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida who is traveling from Colombo to join the Festival.

Celebrated multi-award-winning British author Ian McEwan, who won the 1998 Booker Prize for Atonement will be joined by Jamaica's own Marlon James, recipient of the 2015 Booker Prize for A Brief History of Seven Killings, which also won the American Book Award and the Anisfield-Wolf Award for Fiction.

Both McEwan and James have had their work adapted for the screen.

Fresh from receiving a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, Sheryl Lee Ralph O.J. will grace us with an on-stage conversation.

Ms. Ralph is an acclaimed veteran of film, television, and the Broadway stage –whose memoir, Redefining Diva: Life Lessons from the Original Dreamgirl, was an instant national bestseller.

A diverse cadre of established and emerging writers from across the globe offers up engrossing works of prose, poetry, and memoir.

Joining us in Treasure Beach are poets Caleb Femi, Kimiko Hahn, and Danez Smith; poet and memoirists Jason Allen-Paisant and Safiya Sinclair; fiction writers Mateo Askaripour, Candice Carty-Williams, Hernan Diaz, Christopher John Farley, Diana McCaulay ; creative nonfiction writer Tao Leigh Goffe; Crime Noir writers George Pelecanos and Harold Schechter; African Poetry Book Fund poets Mary-Alice Daniel, Thabile Makue, and Mahtem Shifirraw and memoirist Alexandra Fuller.

The Calabash International Literary Festival continues to live up to its motto of being ‘earthy, inspirational, daring and diverse’. The festival brings world-class literary talent to Jamaica's beautiful south coast in an unforgettable experience that celebrates literature and creativity.

Calabash is faithfully supported by Jakes Hotel & Villas, The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), and corporate entities like Audible, WATA and Kingston Book Shop, and by individual donors from home and abroad such as Beverley East, a longtime supporter.

The festival is also grateful to receive grants from the British Council and the REX Foundation (USA).

American Friends of Jamaica kindly facilitates overseas grants via their US-based 501 c 3.

Additional information on the programme and participants can be found at www.calabashfestival.org and the Calabash social media channels are a great resource for all things related to the Festival.