2013 was another great years for the literary arts. From the start of the year through to the end of the year, there were massive displays and massive outpouring of support for the literary arts. Thank you all who contributed publicly or quietly. A special ‘Thank You’ to corporate Guyana for this upsurge of interest in the literary arts. All of these things augur well for Guyana, in that more voices are being added to the national discourse, from varied places and via various angles. This discourse ought to go a long way in evincing a better place to live.What were some of those things adding to the national discourse during 2013? The first two major events for the year were staged by the Ministry of Culture Youth & Sport. Those events, ‘World Poetry Day’ and ‘World Storytelling Day’, gave literature another foothold in the country; performances which were inspirational and entertaining, bringing literature alive.

Then there was the staging of ‘World Book and Copyright Day’ by the National Library, where Dr Joyce Jonas started a conversation with the audience (mainly Secondary School students), which brought elucidation and better understanding of the our local situation dealing with intellectual property rights.
Many academics, literary critics, and literary luminaries visited Guyana, and were given the opportunity to contribute to our literary discourse. Jeremy Poynting of Peepal Tree Press came to Guyana to launch Rupert Roopnaraine’s book, ‘The Sky’s Wild Noise’, which won the Borcas Prize. Poynting also gave advice, from a publisher’s point of view, on what type of submissions the Press is attracting.
John Agard and Grace Nichols were here to launch their new books, and train teachers to teach English Literature. Gaiutra Bahadur, author of the sensational ‘Collie Woman’, was also here, imparting techniques on creative non-fiction writing. (Guyana travelled to Suriname for Carifesta (The Caribbean Festival of Creative Arts), and to French Guiana for the Inter-Guianas Festival of Arts.)
Moray House (the newest centre for cultural activities in Guyana) staged numerous lectures on diverse topics among other literary and cultural activities. The open mic poetry at Upscale is still going strong after 10 years, getting bigger and better, and the Guyana Annual magazine, a Guyanese tradition since 1915, continues to be published. The Guyana Prize for Literature was a main talking point towards the end of the year, where local writers carted off all the major prizes, except one.
But it’s to books we turn once more for the tangible show of support for the literary arts. Guyanese books are rolling off the press in a steady stream, as if we are rediscovering Guyana.
The gold Raleigh once sought is now unfolding as an exciting and enterprising Guyanese literature; rediscovery is being given new meaning with the reprinting of rare and out-of-print books by The Caribbean Press, Peepal Tree Press and other publishing houses.
Reprints by The Caribbean Press

The Wild Coast – Jan Carew
Other Leopards – Denis Williams
Heartland – Wilson Harris
Corentyne Thunder – Edgar Mittelholzer
Black Midas – Jan Carew
The Third Temptation – Denis Williams
Life & Death of Sylvia – Edgar Mittelholzer
Shadows Move Among Them – Edgar Mittelholzer
A Morning at the Office – Edgar Mittelholzer
The Eye of the Scarecrow – Wilson Harris
An Arawak-English Dictionary with an English word-list – John Peter Bennett
Scholar’s Dictionary and Grammar of the Wapishana Language – Wapishana Language Project
The Lure of the Mermaid and other Children’s Stories from Guyana – Janet Jagan
One Hundred Folk Songs of Guyana – Lynette Dolphin
New books included:
The Mysterious Association and the Virtu-Gems (novella) by Ashley V. Anthony
The Dumb and the Brave by Churaumanie Bissundyal
Coolie Woman by Gaiutra Bahadur
Rasta Lyrics by Cedric Castello (poems)
Dreams of a Caribbean Poet by Gideon Cecil
The Thomas Carroll Affair: A Journey through the Cottage Industry of Illegal Immigration by David Casavis
Johnson’s Dictionary by David Dabydeen
Guyana Legends: Folk Tales of the Indigenous Amerindians Paperback by Odeen Ishmael
Collected Fictions by Ruel Johnson
Cloud of Witnesses by Ian McDonald
The Flour Convoy & The February 23 Coup by Chetram Singh
An Introduction to Guyanese Literature by Petamber Persaud

Some books are omitted here until more information on them becomes available to me.
The books and events will all contribute in some way to preserving our literary heritage; only time will tell. It is difficult to measure the impact of books and related literary activities, but hope burns bright for those working in the field.

(To respond to this author, either call him on (592) 226-0065 or send him an email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com)

WHAT’S HAPPENING:

• ‘An Introduction to Guyanese Literature’ is now available at the National Library, and Austin’s Book Service.
• Coming soon: Hall of Fame for the Literary Arts, Wednesday January 15, 2014.
• ‘See More Poetry’ at Theatre Guild on Sunday, Janaury 12, 2014, commemorating the birth centennary of AJ Seymour under the auspices of the National Library.