‘The Guyana Annual’ 1998 to 2015

MAGAZINE production is precarious business. This has been evident throughout the 100-year history of The Guyana Annual, a history characterised by rough rides and ephemeral bouts of triumph.

But it was worth the effort, and all persons involved in its continued publication can testify to this, especially the editors [1998-2015] from Alan Fenty to Charles De Florimonte, Kojo McPherson to Ruel Johnson, to Petamber Persaud.

Founded in December 1915, this magazine has outlived many other such publications, undergoing numerous modifications to meet the needs of its readership and to carry out its mandate, which is to preserve our identity and cultural integrity.

The main noticeable change to the book over the years is its name. Started as the Chronicle Christmas Annual, it was renamed the Guyana Christmas Annual, and finally in the new millennium it was labelled The Guyana Annual, becoming a truly national magazine instead of a year-end, Christmas-oriented publication.

The main rival of ‘The Annual’ was ‘The Christmas Tide’, which folded in 1950. ‘The Christmas Tide’ was produced by the Argosy newspaper. ‘The Caribia’, produced by B.G. Litographic, didn’t survive for very long. However, we cannot diminish the significant contribution these magazines made to Guyanese literature, where a nation needs a literature for self-identity, self-expression and self-propagation.

More importantly, those magazines served to preserve our literary heritage. The quality of writing and quantity of information to be found within their pages, notwithstanding, is amazing. The authors of those pieces were, or eventually became, prominent members of society.

From its inception, there was a good run of The Annual, until 1962 to 1965, when there was no publication. There was one issue in 1966, and one in 1992, until Dr Tulsi Dyal Singh intervened.

This Texas-based, Berbician-born Guyanese resuscitated publication of The Annual in 1998 at a time when books were being jostled out by the television and the Internet, when reading for pleasure was far from desirable and results in English examination were poor.

Despite its ups and downs, The Annual has made tremendous contribution to our literary heritage and cultural patrimony, and has launched the careers of writers and artists who eventually became well-known, some even internationally acknowledged.
In the words of Dr Ian McDonald as he described The Annual, “every outlet for cultural creation like this one is a dream come true for some young person somewhere in this country yearning to express himself or herself and make a difference in our minds and imaginations”.

David Granger [now President Granger] echoed this sentiment, and added, “A magazine such as this does more than comfort the old. It encourages and enlightens the young, and inspires the talented”. And Al Creighton, in a review of the last issue of The Annual, declared: “The outlets and opportunities that it provides within the country remain immeasurable”. Yes, it is one of a handful of literary competitions that publish winning entries; that in itself is an honour, especially for emerging writers, seeing their names in print.

‘The Guyana Annual 2014-2015’ is here, and the centenary souvenir edition will follow. The theme of this magazine is ‘the passage of time and anniversaries’.

This issue of the magazine is dedicated to A.J. Seymour, whose birth centenary (January 12, 2014) was celebrated by the National Library with a breathtaking production of ‘See More Poetry’ at the Theatre Guild Playhouse, and other activities, including the mounting of a plaque on the house where he lived on 23 North Road, Bourda, and finally the induction of the writer into the National Library Hall of Fame for the Literary Arts.

With reference to the life and work of Seymour, there is information on the books he wrote, like ‘Growing up in Guyana’; publications he edited, like Kyk-over-Al; anthologies he published, like ‘Treasury of Guyanese Poetry’; and there are also tributes by Dr Ian McDonald; Seymour’s daughter, Joan; and Seymour’s niece, Jacqueline de Weever, all firsthand encounters with the writer.

Poet, literary critic, radio programmer/broadcaster, anthologist, ‘nativist publisher’ and cultural historian, A. J. Seymour was born on January 12, 1914; grew up in Georgetown, but spent many delightful August school holidays in New Amsterdam, in the neighbourhood of N.E. Cameron, Jan Carew, Wilson Harris, the Abbensetts and Edgar Mittelholzer. Seymour died on December 25, 1989.

This issue also highlights the anniversaries of important dates, events and organisations in our history, like the 1823 Demerara Revolt, the 1838 Emancipation and the start of indentureship, the centenary of aviation in Guyana, the centenary of the Everest Cricket Club, the centenary of the Rose Hall Massacre, anniversary of the University of Guyana, anniversary of the Theatre Guild, 50th anniversary of Michael Ford Bookstore, to name a few.
The features in this issue include the proverbs of Guyana according to Alan Fenty; photography and copyright by Michael Lam; ‘From Newfoundland to Guyana’ by Stephanie McKenzie, an article tracing the trade of saltfish for rum and molasses between the West Indies/Guyana and Newfoundland/Labrador. There is a tribute to Sheila King titled ‘Sheila – King of Children Literature’, who is a longstanding contributor of children’s literature to the magazine and who is Guyana’s oldest living writer.

The Guyana Annual magazine is published by Guyenterprise Ltd., and the current 2014-2015 issue was edited by Petamber Persaud, who closed his editorial with the following, ‘Time spent reminiscing [with The Annual] is time redeemed’.
(Persons wishing to respond to this author can contact him on telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com)

By Petamber Persaud