La Soufrière volcano on the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent erupted in April 2021 after decades of dormancy, forcing the evacuation of approximately 16,000 people from surrounding parishes. The eruption produced ash plumes, pyroclastic flows, and lahars that devastated agricultural areas and infrastructure. The disaster occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, complicating emergency response and evacuation efforts.

The La Soufrière eruption inspired Caribbean poets and writers to explore themes of compound crisis, where natural disaster intersects with pandemic and climate change. Saint Vincentian poets like Shara McCallum and regional Caribbean voices have addressed the eruption in works examining displacement, resilience, and the particular vulnerabilities of small island developing states, contributing to Caribbean literary traditions that respond to environmental catastrophe with both grief and affirmation of cultural survival.