Guyanese Literature

Jun 29, 2008 Features / Columnists, Guyanese Literature

By Petamber Persaud

For the month of June, I will feature a few bridegrooms of Guyanese literature; men married to their craft to produce outstanding literary offspring.

Martin Carter
Martin Carter was born on June 7, 1927, in Georgetown, British Guiana. Carter wrote numerous books of poetry and many books were written about him including ‘You Are Involved – The Art of Martin Carter’ edited by Stewart Brown and ‘Web of October – Rereading Martin Carter’ by Rupert Roopnaraine and ‘University of Hunger: Collected Poems & Selected Prose’ by Gemma Robinson.

Twice he was honoured by the Government of Guyana. The Government of Chile awarded him the Gabriela Mistral Commemorative Medal.

J. W. Chinapen
Jacob Willien Chinapen was born on June 17, 1908 at Albion, a little-known village on the Corentyne Coast of Berbice.

His crowning achievement in poetry came in 1960 when he won the Jagan Gold Medal for literature – the highest literary award in Guyana – for his book of 26 poems, ‘Albion Wilds’.

Two pieces of that prize-winning collection became so popular that “Crossing the Berbice” River was set to music and placed in the repertoire of national songs and “On the beach at No. 63” closely wrought in Christian mysticism became a hymn to this a highly religious nation.

John Agard
John Agard was born on June 21, 1949 in British Guiana, moving to England in 1977.

He won the Casa de las America Prize in 1982 for ‘Man to Pan’, he was honoured in 1997 with the Paul Hamlyn Award for Poetry and he has won the Guyana Prize for literature in the poetry category on two consecutive occasions, 1998 for ‘From the Devil’s Pulpit’ and in 2000 for ‘Weblines’.

He is also the author of many children’s books, including ‘Lend Me Your Wings’ (1987), which was shortlisted for the Smarties Book Prize, ‘I din do nuttin’, ‘The Calypso Alphabet’, and ‘Grandfather’s ole bruk-a-down Car’.

The offspring of these bridegrooms of Guyanese literature are still with us, in our mind, in the bowl of our imagination, entertaining, elucidating, and instructing us.

Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@ yahoo.com

Literary update
• 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.