On January 12, 2010, a catastrophic earthquake, estimated at magnitude 7.0, struck the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince, and the surrounding region. The quake caused widespread destruction, killing an estimated 200,000 people and leaving 1.5 million homeless. The disaster was a major blow to one of the world's poorest countries and exposed its extreme vulnerability to natural hazards. The event led to a massive international humanitarian response and highlighted the challenges of disaster recovery in a fragile state.

The 2010 Haiti earthquake inspired a significant body of Haitian and international literature, including poetry, novels, and essays that explored the trauma and resilience of the Haitian people. The event is a central theme in contemporary Haitian literature, where it is used to examine issues of poverty, injustice, and the strength of the human spirit. Poets and writers have used the disaster to give voice to the victims and to call for social and political change, making it a defining moment in Haitian literary history.