Award winning author Dr. Chaitram Singh is more than just a Guyanese writer who won in category of Best First Book of Fiction at the 2012 Guyana Prize for Literature. The US based Guyanese whose passion for writing surfaced at a tender age, grew up in Berbice where most of his childhood was influenced by the rural surroundings embodying his perception of the Guyanese society. 

The Corentyne High School (now known as J. C. Chandisingh Secondary School) alum who would later attend Queen’s College was not only an academically inclined student, but one who held much appreciation for sports; particularly cricket and volleyball throughout his school life.
Between 1969 and 1973, Singh attended the United States Military Academy at West Point where he graduated with a B.S. in 1973 before returning to his home country. His passion and love for Guyana, enveloped by sentiments of patriotism lead to him joining the Guyana Defense Force where he served from 1973 to 1975 acquiring the post of Second Lieutenant in the Force.
His professional career would continue in Guyana landing him as Foreign Service Officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1976. In that year too, He would have also served as an Administrative Assistant at the Ministry of Labour after which he taught mathematics briefly at Berbice High School and at Corentyne High School before re-migrating to the United States.
The academically driven spirit of Singh then pushed him further to the University of Florida where he pursued studies in Latin American Studies graduating with his Masters in 1978. Dr. Singh would between 1978 and 1984 prove that education has no limit and proceed to acquire his Ph. D. at the same University in Political Science.
Willingness to give back to society after benefitting was an ideology of Singh who then served the teaching industry as a Professor, Dean and a Director of International Studies between 1982 and 2001.
From 2001 to present, Dr. Chaitram holds he post as Gund Professor of Government and International Studies at Berry College, Georgia, in the USA
Dr. Singh won the 2012 Guyana Prize for Literature (awarded September 2013) in the category of Best First Book of Fiction with his first novel, ‘The Flour Convoy’. According to one reader, Sarah Sooknanan “The Flour Convoy” is a masterful weave by a writer skilled in his craft, and the reader is at once captivated and repelled by the tapestry of corruption, brutality, greed, and lack of concern for common people. A must read for anyone interested in post-colonial literature and Caribbean literature in particular.
Another of Singh’s novels, “The February 23rd Coup,” was runner-up for the Best Work of Fiction prize. Singh’s second novel (The February 23rd Coup) focuses on the dictatorial regime of Forbes Burnham which, by the late 1970s had, in the words of one of the novel’s American characters, turned Guyana into, “a refugee encampment for people desperately seeking to flee the punishing conditions of life created by the mismanagement and corruption of a self-perpetuating clique.” (p.246)
He is the author of four books, including two novels one of which is Politics in Plantation Society and is the associate editor (Latin America) for the Journal of Third World Studies. His research interest centers on civil-military relations in the Third World.
Singh’s recent visit to Guyana between May 10 and 19 was a research trip which was funded by Berry College. The trip had a two-fold propose: to continue his work on civil-military relations in Guyana and to gather materials for his next novel.
As such, one aspect included an interview with President Donald Ramotar on May 12 where focus was placed on civil-military relations since 1992. Among the issues discussed were the missions of the Guyana Defense Force (GDF), budgetary allocations, and relations with different Chiefs of Staff. The interview was followed by an extensive session with Presidential Advisor Gail Texeira and a subsequent meeting with Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh.
His second visit on May 14 was one to the Chief of Staff Brigadier Mark Phillips, which was also an interview that took place at GDF Headquarters, Camp Ayanganna. Lt. Col. Hussain then raised the possibility of Singh lecturing to the officers in the Senior Command Staff course, which had just commenced at Timehri. The Chief of Staff supported this, urging his participation, which took place the following day. His presentation to the officers was to be made on “The Role of the Military in a Democracy.”
Following this, The Guyana National Library on May 14 hosted a reading by winners of the Guyana Prize for Literature where Dr. Singh was featured to read an excerpts from of his novels; ‘The Flour Convoy’ and ‘The February 23rd Coup.’
Dr. Chaitram Singh’s invaluable contribution to the Guyanese society through literature is one which has assisted in preserving the historical nature of Guyana and its post Independence political and social climate.