The National Library Centenary, part two: ‘My Bones and My Flute’

Aug 16, 2009 Features / Columnists, Guyanese Literature

By Petamber Persaud
For an educational (and recreational) institution like the National Library to remain relevant in a volatile society for 100 years calls into play innovation, industry and dedication on the part of all stakeholders, particularly the Committee of the National Library and the staff – two bodies in charge of executing the mandate of the library. The mandate of the National Library is ‘to satisfy both nationally and internationally, the informational and recreational needs of the library’s users through the collection, organisation, dissemination and preservation of information in printed and other formats’.
One of the novel ways implemented by the library to celebrate its centenary is the current broadcast on local radio of Edgar Mittelholzer’s ‘My Bones and my Flute’. 2009 marks the birth centenary of Guyana’s most prolific novelist. The nexus is obvious.
Edgar Mittelholzer was born in December 1909 in the town of New Amsterdam, Berbice, British Guiana. At the time of death by suicide in May 1965, he had published twenty-five books including twenty-three novels, some short stories, and a few poems. He is better known for his monumental work, the Kaywana trilogy, which is a reconstruction of Guyana’s history from early seventeenth century to the mid-twentieth century, his first published novel, ‘Corentyne Thunder’ [1941] and a ghost story/detective story (perhaps a first for the Caribbean) ‘My Bones and My Flute’ [1955].
‘My Bones and My Flute’ is set in Berbice, up the Berbice River, deep in the jungle of Guyana. There a young artist, Woodsley, and the Nevinson family whom he accompanies, encounter the curse of a Dutch plantation and slave owner, Jan Pieter Voorman, whose bones are buried in that area, when they touch a manuscript he left behind. The curse is manifested in the eerie sound of a phantom flute. In ‘My Bones and My Flute’, Mittelholzer once again revisits the subject of the Berbice Slave Rebellion [1763].
The National Library was opened to the public in September 1909 offering lending, reference and reading room services. In 1909, there were 57,000 books and 1,500 members. A 2007 survey records registered borrowers at over 100,000 and a book stock of just under 400,000. There were many innovations during the institution’s one hundred years of service to the nation. An early and useful improvement was when in the year 1940 the open access system was introduced in preference to the closed access system. A recent and modern addition was an internet department enhancing literacy, yet not defeating the function of reading books.
The radio serialising of ‘My Bones and My Flute’ was engineered and produced by James Sidney for the now defunct Radio Demerara. The current airing on NCN Radio of this serial is at 1845 hours each week Monday to Friday.
By celebrating the birth centenary of Edgar Mittelholzer, the National Library in this its centenary year is demonstrating its willingness to be innovative in carrying out its mandate and staying relevant in this ever-changing society.

Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: [email protected]

What’s happening:
• The Guyana Annual magazine is inviting entries to its eight literary competitions namely Open Story and Open Poetry, Youth Story and Youth Poetry, Henry Josiah Writing Story for Children, Rajkumari Singh Writing Poetry for Children, Martin Carter Essay (under 13), Egbert Martin Poetry (under 13) and to its art and photography competitions.
• Be a part of the centenary celebrations of the National Library; see press for details. Make a tangible contribution by submitting relevant photo and recollections for possible publication in the Centenary Souvenir Magazine.
• Coming soon Janus Creative Clinic on poetry, short fiction, drama and feature journalism; for more information contact [email protected]