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CO-ORDINATOR of the Extension Activities of the National Library, Margaret Eastman says that the expansion of the Essay and Short Story Competition has helped to launch a revival of avid readers and set the pace for aspiring writers. 
Eastman was speaking yesterday at the Awards Presentation for the competition in the Conference Room of the National Library.
Winners of the competition were Shunitia Johnson (9-11 category), Candacie Holder (12-14 Category), Adel Jones (15-17 category) and Subraj Singh (18-25 category).
She noted that the expansion came about when the Library started to receive requests from the general public calling for a new category in the competition for adults, and now prisons across the country have been included.
Eastman observed that the Mazaruni, Georgetown, Timehri and New Amsterdam Prisons took part in last year’s competition and this year the Lusignan Prison also participated.
She noted that with the success of the competition the Library is seeking to add another sector of creative writing to the contest.
“Our effort is to promote literacy in Guyana,” Eastman said, announcing that after deep deliberation they had decided to add poetry to the 2014 competition.
“The competition will be known as the Creative Writing Competition and will include short stories and poetry.”
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer of P&P Insurance Brokers, Bish Panday commended the Library for their ingenious idea of promoting reading and writing among young people.
“It’s something that isn’t happening enough,” he said, noting that reading books and writing are rapidly being replaced by technology, “by the iPads, the (Samsung) Galaxy and the Tablets.”
He said further that empowering education “is beneficial for us, our country our children…it helps persons to express themselves…and it certainly makes them more confident in carrying on a discussion.”
Panday said that he is grateful that the Library has reached out to these people, especially those in the prisons. “Yes they have committed an offence but they are serving their time. Some have paid their price…and the Library has taken the social responsibility to include them,” Panday commented.
Eastman was speaking yesterday at the Awards Presentation for the competition in the Conference Room of the National Library. Winners of the competition were Shunitia Johnson (9-11 category), Candacie Holder (12-14 Category), Adel Jones (15-17 category) and Subraj Singh (18-25 category).
She noted that the expansion came about when the Library started to receive requests from the general public calling for a new category in the competition for adults, and now prisons across the country have been included.
Eastman observed that the Mazaruni, Georgetown, Timehri and New Amsterdam Prisons took part in last year’s competition and this year the Lusignan Prison also participated.
She noted that with the success of the competition the Library is seeking to add another sector of creative writing to the contest.
“Our effort is to promote literacy in Guyana,” Eastman said, announcing that after deep deliberation they had decided to add poetry to the 2014 competition.
“The competition will be known as the Creative Writing Competition and will include short stories and poetry.”
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer of P&P Insurance Brokers, Bish Panday commended the Library for their ingenious idea of promoting reading and writing among young people.
“It’s something that isn’t happening enough,” he said, noting that reading books and writing are rapidly being replaced by technology, “by the iPads, the (Samsung) Galaxy and the Tablets.”
He said further that empowering education “is beneficial for us, our country our children…it helps persons to express themselves…and it certainly makes them more confident in carrying on a discussion.”
Panday said that he is grateful that the Library has reached out to these people, especially those in the prisons. “Yes they have committed an offence but they are serving their time. Some have paid their price…and the Library has taken the social responsibility to include them,” Panday commented.
