Guyana to open publishing house

Sep 27, 2008 News

…Nobel laureate commits to coaching stint with local writers next year

Nobel laureate Derek Walcott

President Bharrat Jagdeo has agreed to set up a publishing house in Guyana for regional writers, following a call by eminent Guyanese author, Professor David Dabydeen.
Prof. Dabydeen had highlighted the fact that the large publishing houses in the region do not publish the works of regional writers anymore.
This newspaper understands that Jagdeo has so far contributed $100,000 towards the establishment of the publishing house.
According to President Bharrat Jagdeo during an interview with the National Communications Network (NCN) recently, Nobel laureate Derek Walcott has agreed to come to Guyana for a short stint next year, to provide some tutoring guidelines, among other things, for regional and Guyanese writers.
Walcott’s most recent appearance in Guyana was during the Carifesta X symposia, where he lambasted regional heads for not investing enough in cultural arts.
Walcott was also adamant that investments in Caribbean countries should come with incentives, given that nothing of a cultural value will be left for generations to come.
He noted that only huge hotels will be there.
He added that governments should have investors give money to museums and for theater scholarships, among others.
“We are selling our land like whores to foreign investors, and the prostitution is a thing called development,” said Walcott.
He was also involved in an interactive writers’ session.