The Caribbean Press extension activities…
NATIONAL literary competitions may be another way of accessing the development of a nation’s literature, apart from the main functions of such competitions, which are: To encourage new writings, enhance what is on offer, and act as a platform to hone writing skills. The recently established ‘The Caribbean Press’ by the government of Guyana is a publishing house that promises much in the way of the development of the literature of Guyana.

Established to publish rare books in the first instance, the press will eventually move to publishing contemporary writings.

The other main activity of this new publishing house is to encourage new writings by Guyanese children, by way of four methods, namely: Literary competitions, workshops, performances and publications.

On Friday, May 14, 2010, the competition was formally launched in the boardroom of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport. Entries (and their authors) selected from the competition will evolve into the workshop. The workshop will set the stage for performances by the emerging writers, and a publication of the best works coming out of the competition and workshop.

Below are the rules of the competition:
Poetry and Short-Story Competitions for Children

Rules:
* Guyanese resident in Guyana are eligible to enter
* Entries ought to be typewritten on one side, and double-spaced. Two copies of each entry must be submitted; competitors may submit up to three entries in categories open to them; entries may be written in English or creolese; working the ‘green’ theme is preferable.
* Poetry Competition is intended for primary school students under 12 years of age, and poems should not be more than 30 lines
* Short-Story Competition is intended for (secondary) school students between 13 and 18 years of age, and stories should not be more than 1,000 words
* Each entry ought to be accompanied by an electronic copy, but this is not necessary
* Entries must be the original unpublished work of the competitor, and this should be verifiable if necessary
* A separate cover sheet with the following information must be provided for each entry: Competition entered; full name; age; mailing address; telephone number & e-mail address; and name of school attending
* There is no entry fee
* Submissions should be sent to: Petamber Persaud, ℅ The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Main Street, Georgetown
* Closing date: July 15, 2010
* All poems/stories entered must be made available for publication in an anthology to be published by The Caribbean Press
* For further information, contact Petamber Persaud at telephone number 226-0065 or by email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com

What’s Happening:
* May 26 at 19:00h: Poetry evening at the Theatre Guild
* May 28 at 17:00h: Lecture on the imaginative literature by Guyanese of Indian ancestry, to be delivered by yours truly in the auditorium of the National Library under the auspices of GOPIO (Guyana Chapter).
* May 29: The annual Petamber’s Birthday Literary Lime
* June 2 at 17:00h: THE JOURNEY: An Evening of Literature (Part XI), Castellani House.