Guyanese literature

Guyanese literature has been produced by a number of authors, most of whom write in the English language. Many Guyanese-born writers have emigrated abroad.

History of Guyanese literature

The first book written on Guyana, by Sir Walter Raleigh in the 16th century, was The Discoverie of the Large, Rich, and Beautiful Empyre of Guiana (With a Relation of the Great and Golden Citie of Manoa (Which the Spanyards call El Dorado) and of the Provinces of Emeria, Aromaia, Amapaia, and Other Countries, with Their Riulers, Adjoyning (Robert Robinson: London, 1596).

One of the earliest and most notable Guyanese authors was Edgar Mittelholzer, author of Corentyne Thunder (1941). His works often deal with issues of interracial relations, particularly the strain between European and non-European Guyanese.

Famous novelists include E. R. Braithwaite (author of To Sir, With Love, 1959), Wilson Harris (author of Palace of the Peacock, published in 1960 and followed by many other novels), Jan Carew, Roy Heath (author of works including The Murderer, the Georgetown Trilogy and The Shadow Bride), and dramatist Michael Gilkes.

They were succeeded by a new generation of writers from the 1980s onward, including Beryl Gilroy, John Agard, Grace Nichols, Jan Shinebourne, Cyril Dabydeen, Sasenarine Persaud, David Dabydeen and Barney Singh (author of Tales in the Guyanese Vernacular).[1]

Martin Carter is considered Guyana's greatest poet.[2]

Michael Abbensetts was a noted playwright of works for the stage and television in the UK, whose work included the drama series — Empire Road, which BBC TV aired from 1978 to 1979.[3]

Vincent Roth's two-volume memoirs, A Life in Guyana: Volume 1 - A Young Man's Journey, 1889-1923 and A Life in Guyana: Volume 2 - Later Years, 1923-1935 (edited by Michael Bennett), were published in 2002 by Peepal Tree Press.

In more recent years, Pauline Melville has written fiction including The Ventriloquist's Tale (1997) and The Migration of Ghosts (1998), Oonya Kempadoo is the author of Buxton Spice (1998) and Tide Running (2001), and Sharon Maas has had published Of Marriageable Age (1999), Peacocks Dancing (2001) and The Speech of Angels (2003).

The influential intellectual and historian Walter Rodney was Guyanese, his most important book being How Europe Underdeveloped Africa (1972). Travelling and teaching widely, he was a proponent of Pan-Africanism and a supporter of the downtrodden. Rodney returned to Guyana in 1974 and was active in the opposition movement, leading to his assassination in 1980.

Guyana Prizes for Literature

The Guyana Prizes for Literature were founded by President Desmond Hoyte in 1987, with a view to promoting the development of local literature. Prizes are awarded biennially in categories including best book of fiction, best first book of fiction, best book of poems, best first book of poems, and best play. The Guyana Prizes are managed by a committee consisting of a number of university personnel, and the chief librarian of the Guyana National Library.

Winners have included Wilson Harris, Fred D'Aguiar, David Dabydeen, D. Gokarran Sukhdeo, Pauline Melville, Ian McDonald, Cyril Dabydeen and Ruel Johnson.[4]

Guyana Poetry Prize

Previous winners: Fred D'Aguiar, Grace Nichols, Ian McDonald.

Writers shortlisted for and awarded the Guyana Prize for Literature include:[5]

Previous winners of Guyana Prizes for Literature (incomplete)
YearAuthorTitleGenre
1987Harold BascomApataFiction
1987Beryl GilroyFrangipani HouseFiction
1987Wilson HarrisCarnivalFiction
1987Rooplall MonarBackdam PeopleFiction
1987Grace NicholsWhole of a Morning SkyFiction
1987Jan ShinebourneTimepieceFiction
1987John AgardMangoes and BulletsPoetry
1987Cyril DabydeenIslands Lovelier than a VisionPoetry
1987Fred D'AguiarMama DotPoetry
1987Marc MatthewsGuyana My AltarPoetry
1987Rooplall MonarKokerPoetry
1987Milton WilliamsYears of Fighting ExilePoetry
1989Cyril DabydeenTo Monkey JungleFiction
1989Beryl GilroyBoy SandwichFiction
1989Roy HeathThe Shadow BrideFiction
1989Angus RichmondThe Open PrisonFiction
1989Janice ShinebourneThe Last English PlantationFiction
1989Martin CarterSelected PoemsPoetry
1989Brian ChanThief with a LeafPoetry
1989David DabydeenCoolie OdysseyPoetry
1989Fred D'AguiarAiry HallPoetry
1989Ian McDonaldMercy WardPoetry
1992David DabydeenThe IntendedFiction
1992Ian McDonaldEssequiboPoetry
1992Michael GilkesA Pleasant CareerDrama
1994Harold BascomTwo WrongsDrama
1994Fred D'AguiarThe Longest MemoryFiction
1994Mark McWattThe Language of EldoradoPoetry
1996Grace NicholsSunrisPoetry
1996Denise HarrisWeb of SecretsFiction
1996Fred D'AguiarDear FutureFiction
1996Harold BascomMakantaliDrama
1998Pauline MelvilleThe Ventriloquist’s TaleFiction
1998Gokarran SukhdeoThe Silver LiningFiction
1998Dennis CraigNear the SeashorePoetry
1998John AgardFrom the Devil’s PulpitPoetry
1998Paloma MohamedDueneDrama
2000David DabydeenA Harlot’s ProgressFiction
2000Paloma MohamedFather of the ManDrama
2000John AgardWeblinesPoetry
2000Raywat DeonandanSweet like Salt WaterFiction
2000Maggie HarrisLimbolandsPoetry
2002Michael GilkesJonestownPoetry
2002Stanley GreavesHorizonsPoetry
2002Ruel JohnsonThe Enormous NightPoetry
2004Fred D'AguiarBethany BettanyFiction
2004David DabydeenOur Lady of DemeraraFiction
2004Paloma MohamedNancy StoryDrama
2004Ian McDonaldBetween Silence and SilencePoetry
2004Berkley SempleLamplight TellerPoetry
2006Ryhaan ShahA Silent LifeFiction
2006Cyril DabydeenDrums of my FleshFiction
2006Clive SankardayalThe Brown CurtainsFiction
2006Mark McWattSuspended SentencesFiction
2006Michael GilkesThe Last of the RedmenDrama
2006Ronan BlazeFor Love of Aidana SoroyaDrama
2006Elly NilandCornerstonesPoetry
2006Berkeley SempleThe Solo FlyerPoetry

Guyana Prize for Caribbean Literature

In 2010, it was announced that the Government of Guyana had provided funds to the Management Committee of the Guyana Prize for the first Guyana Prize for Literature Caribbean Award, in the categories of fiction, poetry and drama, with published books by citizens of Caribbean countries (CARICOM States, the Commonwealth Caribbean, the Netherlands Antilles) being eligible.[6]

References

  1. "Basil 'Barney' Singh BSc Eng.", Obituary, Toronto Star.
  2. Al Creighton, "Martin Carter and his poems", Stabroek News, 24 June 2012.
  3. Michael Coveney, "Michael Abbensetts obituary", The Guardian, 20 November 2016.
  4. Petamber Persaud, "Winners at a glance", Preserving our literary Heritage | Literary Corner, Guyana Chronicle, 29 July 2007, p. IV.
  5. "The long and short of The Guyana Prize", Guyana Chronicle, 12 January 2013.
  6. "The Guyana Prize for Literature", CaribLit, 10 January 2015.

Sources

  • Balkaran, Lal (ed.), Bibliography of Guyana & Guyanese Writers 1596-2004: An A-Z Guide of Books on Guyana by Guyanese and Non-Guyanese Writers and On Other Subjects by Guyanese Writers, with a Foreword by Professor Jan Carew (LBA Publications, Canada).


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