On receipt of copies…
THE Editor, Mr. Petamber Persaud, on behalf of the publisher, GuyEnterprise Advertising Agency, yesterday presented several copies of the 2010 Guyana Annual to Minister of Education, Mr. Shaik Baksh.
Accepting the donation in his ministry’s Brickdam, Georgetown boardroom, the Minister said he recognised that the magazine, which had its origins during the First World War, has been instrumental in cataloguing literary as well as artistic developments for 95 years.
Baksh expressed his gratitude for the gesture and indicated that the books will be introduced into the secondary schools system in coming weeks.
He said the gifts would enhance what the Ministry is trying to do in schools by promoting literacy through reading and writing, as well as cultural aspects of education.
Baksh disclosed that the Ministry has embarked upon a drive to ensure that Literature is a compulsory subject in all secondary schools, with the aim of producing a greater number of writers from the system.
Copies of Clem Seecharan‘s ‘Ranji to Rohan’: Cricket and Indian Identity in Colonial Guyana in 1890s-1960s were also handed over to him and Baksh said it will go a far way in making children aware of the contributions of Guyanese cricketers over the years.
“We are promoting cricket in schools this year. More grounds are available and it is important for the children to be able to also read about it,” the Minister stated.
Persaud announced that the Guyana Annual will now be available online as it is important in education to “reinvent ourselves”.
He lauded the efforts of Minister Baksh to promote literacy in this country and said the yearly compilation, which gives young people the opportunity to write and express themselves, will supplement the Ministry undertakings to bolster writing in schools.
RESUSCITATED
The Guyana Annual, formerly the Chronicle Christmas Annual, was first published in December 1915, in the midst of the first World War and continued for another 75 years until the last issue in 1992, before it was resuscitated in 1998 by Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh.
A release, issued by Editor Persaud said the 2011 magazine will feature interesting articles and stories by children and young adults, in this country, which would seek to address issues in the daily life of Guyanese, including the global influences on the population.
The release said, in addition, articles by professional writers and others, in the disciplines of Technology, Art, Cuisine, Culture, Entertainment and Fashion, would be included, too.
The statement said, since the last publication, the magazine has undergone some modifications, among them the renaming, to give it a more perennial appeal  and the establishment of two recent prizes, the Martin Carter Essay Prize and the Egbert Martin Poetry Prize, specially designed to encourage writing by children under 11 years of age.
It added that, through the online venture, assisted by Envisage Marketing and Technology Company, persons will be able to read selected articles from the various issues, current and past, as well as post comments on Twitter and Face book.
The online edition will coincide with the publication of the hard copy magazine, inclusive of video interviews with winners of the literary prizes and videos of the actual event.
The Guyana Annual is now receiving submissions for its 13th issue, which can be sent to GuyEnterprise Advertising Agency, Lot 234 Lance Gibbs and Irving Streets, Queenstown and Envisage Marketing, Lot 118N Cowan Street, Kingston, also in Georgetown, or through the Facebook account ‘The Guyana Annual.’
Entries must be submitted by October 30, as the magazine will be on sale from mid-December, the advisory said.