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Guyanese Literature Junction

Jun 22, 2008 Features / Columnists, Guyanese Literature

By Petamber Persaud

In mid-1940s, Forbes Burnham took part in a poetry ‘contest’ on the top of Kaieteur Falls where he ‘defeated’ Dan Debidin only to be ‘vanquished’ by Lilian Dewar.

Burnham’s formative years were filled with anecdotes of his tryst with culture. Growing up in Kitty village, he was fascinated with the masquerade band to the ‘chagrin of some of his elders’.

In the formal school system, Burnham showed his prowess in literary subjects. But what really separated him was that he ‘devoted much of his extra-curricular time to the dramatic club, the debating society and to poetry reading’. At Queen’s College, he played many characters in plays by Norman Cameron; he was particularly proud of the part he played in ‘Sabaco’.

Later, as Minister of Education in the first PPP-government, as Councillor and then Mayor of the City of Georgetown, Burnham continued to support and to promote literature and art.

The Guyana Cultural Association, New York, in its 2008 honour roll, is conferring its first posthumous award onto Forbes Burnham mainly for initiating and supporting the Caribbean Festival of Arts (Carifesta).

Carifesta ’72 held in Guyana from August 25 – September 15 was a culmination of a life imbrued in culture.

Carifesta has its genesis in two important meetings now labelled the Caribbean Writers and Artists Conference which brought together our custodians of words and creators of ideas. In 1966, Burnham invited a number of Caribbean writers and artists as special guests at Guyana’s Independence Celebrations.

Those writers and artists used the opportunity to hold a one-day conference. Four years later, in 1970, writers and artists were again invited to Guyana’s Republic Celebrations; this time plans were set in train for them to confer. It was at this meeting that the idea of a festival of Caribbean arts was firmly entrenched with a mandate to see its fruition within two years.

Guyana will host to Carifesta X in 2008, thirty-six years after setting the festival on its way. There is something spiritual, somewhat quickening with the phrase, ‘to come full circle’. So Carifesta ‘coming home’ is poignant and nostalgic. And we must not diminish the contribution of the pioneers of Carifesta, especially the role played by Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham.

Literary update
• THE JOURNEY, an evening of literature, part X is slated for Thursday June 26, 2008, at Castellani House. The theme for this outing of THE JOURNEY is Looking Forward and Back – Heralding Carifesta X and looking back at THE JOURNEY parts I – IX. Admission is free.

• Please contact this writer on matters concerning THE LITERARY ARTS for CARIFESTA X to be staged in Guyana from August 22 to August 31, 2008; look out for details concerning a ‘general meeting’ of local writers, book dealers, performers and enablers of the literary arts.

• Look out for details regarding the production of THE GUYANA ANNUAL 2008-2009; this special souvenir edition will mark Edgar Mittelholzer’s 100th birth anniversary. We are inviting short articles, reminiscences and titbits to this effect.  

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