My name is Otancia Noel, I am a writer from Trinidad and Tobago whose work contributes meaningfully to contemporary literature within the Creative and Cultural Industries. Raised between South Trinidad and Port-of-Spain, my lived experiences, partially growing up on the Jamaat’s compound in my childhood years, inform a powerful and authentic narrative voice rooted in Caribbean history and identity.  I hold a degree in Literature and Mass Communication and an MFA in Creative Writing (Prose Fiction), combining academic training with deeply personal storytelling.

My debut collection of short stories, Town on Fire: Untold Stories from a Caribbean Coup was inspired by the 1990 attempted coup. I explore themes of power, trauma, gender, faith, and resilience, offering insight into often-silenced perspectives shaped by political upheaval and community life. My work stands at the intersection of historical memory and creative expression, contributing to the preservation and reinterpretation of Caribbean stories.

My writing has been widely recognised in international literary circles. I am the  recipient of the Hachette and Hodder Education UK Island Voices Caribbean Contemporary Prize (2022) and the Vincent Cooper Literary Prize (2021), and I have been shortlisted and longlisted for several prestigious competitions including the Johnson and Amoy Achong prize for fiction and non-fiction, Bridport Prize, Ink of Ages World  History Encyclopaedia and Oxford  University Press Short Story Prize, Kinsman Quarterly and Alpine Short Story Prize.

In addition, my fiction, articles, and scholarly work have appeared in publications such as The Caribbean Writer, Solarpunk Magazine, and Journal of Postcolonial Writing UK. As both a writer and educator, I contribute to the development of Caribbean literary culture by amplifying underrepresented voices and engaging with complex social histories.

Through my work, I exemplify the role of the Caribbean creative practitioner: documenting lived experience, challenging dominant narratives, and shaping cultural discourse through storytelling.