A list compiled by Patrick Jamieson

This is a reference listing of "literature" by West Indian authors.  The emphasis is on prose fiction written in English, however some poetry and nonfiction has been included, as have some works that have been translated to English.

My definition of a "West Indian Author" is rather broad: Most West Indian authors were born and raised in the West Indies.  Some were born elsewhere and parented by at least one West Indian.  Others immigrated to the West Indies from another part of the globe.  Many West Indian authors have found it necessary to live in other countries in order to better pursue their careers as writers, often becoming citizens of their new home countries.  Today, a West Indian Author could live anywhere in the world, and may be "claimed" by both a West Indian country and their country of residence.  To me, the defining factor is that the West Indian Author usually writes of West Indian characters and/or concerns with understanding and insight.

This is an on-going work-in-progress that has been compiled from individual contributions and a variety of other sources.

The information provided here was recently moved from static listing pages to a database.  Having the information in a database allows more flexible and sophisticated searching and filtering capibilities.  To generate a dynamic listing of West Indian Literature based on the latest information in the database, enter your search criteria below, then click the Search button.

I would like to add readers' comments on these titles, and invite anyone to contribute by e-mailing their comments to me at Comments@WestIndiesBooks.com. (I reserve the right to edit any comments, but I will not publish edited comments without the contributor's permission.)  I am also always seeking any corrections and additions to the list, and will acknowledge and post all legitimate submissions as soon as possible.

Last updated 25 Nov 2011