Guyana’s canon of folklore has received a rich contribution of new entries in various art forms following the announcement of the 2020 winners of the Guyana Annual Competitions on October 28. The competitions were launched earlier this year and called for entries in Open & Junior Short Story, Open & Junior Poetry, Open & Junior Visual Arts, Short Story for Children, Playwriting, Photography and Cartoon/Graphic Short Story categories.

The competition, subtitled the “Folkore Edition”, had extended its deadline to facilitate delays related to the Coronavirus pandemic and the results were finally revealed this week following an initial announcement of shortlisted candidates. The facilitators commented via the competition’s social media pages that the entries in various categories were of “high quality” and that they showcased “skillful social commentary”.

The Buzz spoke with some of the competition winners who shared their sentiments about being recognised for their work. “Honestly, I’d gone back and forth on whether I’d be able to submit something to the Guyana Annual this year, so I was (and still am) one of those very grateful participants for the extended deadlines,” said Daryll Goodchild whose piece “Lucky Stars” made him the winner of the Edgar Mittelholzer Prize for Open Short Story. “To have won after all the tottering on the edge of a decision makes me so happy that I would say a few words to the version of myself in the past that made me second-guess my participation.” Goodchild noted that he was honoured to be able to take part in the competition which he considers Guyana’s “one constant for the literary community”.

Roberto Teekah, winner of the Stephanie Correia Prize for Open Visual Art with his piece “We are watching” was similarly grateful to be recognised for his work. “Growing up I’ve always been fascinated and intrigued by our unique and terrifying folklore – so when The Guyana Annual announced their folklore theme, I knew that I had to create something that captured that,” he said. “I chose to represent five well-known folkloric figures- interpreted in my style. Featured in the piece are the Ol’ Higue, Baccoo, Kanaima, Moongazer, and Wata  Mama. The repetition of their piercing eyes is what inspired the title, ‘We Are Watching’- as no matter where you are in Guyana- the country, the city, the jungles or the savannah- there might always be something lurking; something watching. It really is an honour to be the winner of the Stephanie Correia prize this year- the idea of having my work in physical print, and for it to be accessible for generations to come is truly humbling, and I am incredibly grateful.”

Quanisha Patterson, winner of the George Simon Prize for Junior Visual Art, explained that she was overwhelmed by the news. “Upon receiving the breathtaking news, I acquired a sudden burst of upliftment and furthermore, motivation,”Patterson told The Buzz. “My victory really is a symbol of perseverance and I would love for everyone to use this as motivation. I am encouraged now to not only explore but to ameliorate other skills and talents that I possess. You will not always ‘win’ but as you muster the courage to share your crafts and improve, the positive feedback and progress that you’ll notice will be just enough to boost your confidence and enhance your self esteem and as everyone would say ‘Practice makes perfect’ so one day, you will accomplish all that you want to.”

Other winners in this year’s competition include Patrick George, winner of the Mahadai Das Prize for Open Poetry; Shamar Semple, Winner of the Bobby Fernandes Prize for Photography; Hadiyah Alli, Winner of the Wordsworth McArthur Prize for Junior Poetry and Kathleen Henriquo, winner of the Sheila King Prize for Writing Short Story for Children. Up to press time, the names of the other winners were not yet announced.

The Guyana Annual publishes its literary and art magazine annually and also hosts this yearly competition to “discover and promote Guyanese writers and artists” according to its website.