A 300,000-word labour of love

SOMETIMES it is a satisfying exercise to take stock.

This is what I did recently, and was amazed at the amount of scholarship I’ve produced on Guyanese Literature in the past six years via this column, ‘Preserving Our Literary Heritage’.

This scholarship amounts to over 300 articles of little-known information and never-before-published facts about our literature. Three hundred articles at an average of 1,000 words apiece would equate to a total of 300,000 words!

To compile those articles, I’d have turned the pages of tonnes and tonnes of tomes, painstakingly peeled open volumes of prized newspapers in the newspapers archives, and interviewed scores and scores of people in and out of Guyana.

I have covered miles and miles of the good earth, walking highways and byways, riding, driving or being driven to unearth material for my articles. I’ve had experience in fieldwork that would amount to a book or two (noting the works of N. E. Cameron, ‘Adventures in the Field of Culture and Thoughts on Life and Literature’).

I know of persons who have collected those articles; I know of persons using those articles with permission and giving due credit; and some who blatantly cannibalise them.

There are those who say “Thank you,” and my response would be, “That’s fuel to keep me churning out more articles.” I’ve gotten response from people from around the world, for various reasons — like-minded scholars, relatives and friends of the writers I’ve featured, and I’ve even brought families together.

Even before I get my hardcopy of the newspaper early Sunday morning, I would receive emails from around the world on the published subject.

The following are some of the people whose biographies I’ve written: E. R. Braithwaite; Randall Butisingh; N. E. Cameron; Jan Carew; Martin Carter; J. W. Chinapen; David Dabydeen; Mahadai Das; O. R. Dathorne; Celeste Dolphin; Syble Douglas; Ivan Forrester; Beryl Gilroy; Cleveland Hamilton; Wilson Harris; Roy Heath; Henry Josiah; Peter Kempadoo; Sheila King; Betty Lewis; Walter MacA Lawrence; Wordsworth McAndrew; Edwina Melville; Edgar Mittelholzer; Cecile Nobrega; A. J. Seymour; Sheik Sadeek; Rajkumari Singh; Eric Walrond; and Shana Yardan.

Here are some interviewed published: Mark McWatt; Stanley Greaves; Vibert Cambridge; Cyril Dabydeen; Juanita Cox on Edgar Mittelholzer; Lori Shelbourne on Wilson Harris; Sandra Pouchet Paquet; Nalini Mohabir on the last return ship; Juliet Alexander; Miguel Neneve; Peter Jailall on the art of storytelling; Francis Quamina Farrier on drama; and Dave Martins on copyright.

Here are some of the books I’ve reviewed, or of which I’ve written an appreciation: ‘Berbice to Broadstairs’, poems by Maggie Harris; ‘Living My Dreams’ by Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira; ‘The Coolie, His Rights and Wrongs’ by John Edwards Jenkins; ‘The First Crossing’, being the diary of Theophilus Richmond, ship’s surgeon aboard the Hesperus, 1837-8, edited by David Dabydeen, Jonathan Morley, Brinsley Samaroo, Amar Wahab, and Brigid Wells; ‘Jan Carew – The Guyanese Wanderer, Georgetown Journal’, by Andrew Salkey; ‘Short and Sweet’ , by Bobby Fernandes; ‘The Twelve Views in the Interior of Guiana’, by Sir Robert Schomburgk; ‘Canoe and Camp Life in British Guiana’, by Barrington Brown; and ‘The Discoverie of Guiana’, by Sir Walter Raleigh.

Also in this column, ‘Preserving Our Literary Heritage’, I have reported on literary events like ‘The Journey, an Evening of Literature’, staged under the auspices of the National Art Gallery, Castellani House; book launches; World Poetry Day, staged under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport; World Book and Copyright Day, staged under the auspices of the National Library; and the production and launch of ‘The Guyana Annual’ magazine each year.

I have also done a series of articles on Edgar Mittelholzer, celebrating his 100^th birth anniversary; a series of articles on the National Library celebrating its centenary; a series of articles on books reprinted by The Caribbean Press; a series of articles on Carifesta X; and a series of articles on our national songs.

It gives me a sense of fulfilment that I’ve made a small, if not significant, contribution to our literature, a similar sense of fulfilment litterateurs like N. E. Cameron and A. J. Seymour must have felt on looking back at their scholarship to Guyanese literature.

What’s Happening:

• The Guyana Annual, 2010 issue is now available at Guyenterprise Ltd. on Lance Gibbs and Irving Streets, Queenstown.

• The new closing date for the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sport poetry and short story competition for schools is July 15, 2010. Please contact me for more information. This competition includes three follow-up components, via a writers’ workshop, using entries submitted; performances of shortlisted entries; and a publication of the outstanding works. Entries can be mailed to me in care of the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sport, or dropped in a box provided in the ministry’s security hut.

(To respond to this author, either call him on (5
92) 226-0065 or send him an email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com)