Within the next few days or weeks, there will be a “significant evolution” of the Caribbean Press, according to executive editor Dr. David Dabydeen.
Dabydeen made the comments on Wednesday at the Umana Yana during the launching of 20 Guyana Classics published by the Press. There have been calls over the past weeks for public accountability, not just in relation to the Press’ finances, but also the selection process for the publication of books. A public debate erupted after local writer Ruel Johnson raised the question of why the Press had published a book by Ashley Anthony, the 13-year-old daughter of Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr Frank Anthony, and asked what criteria were used to decide on the publication of the book and who had made the decision.
It was later revealed that the minister had paid the publishing and shipping costs for the publication while executive editor of the Press Dr Dabydeen later said that he was so taken by the literary quality of the girl’s work that he suggested it should be published. In an earlier interview with Stabroek News, the executive editor had indicated that he planned to take a back seat and there was a need for human resources to carry on the work of the Press, otherwise it might have to close its doors.
On Wednesday, Dabydeen stated that without government funding, the Press would continue its work. “The Press will continue with or without funding from the government,” he said.
Dabydeen asserted that the Press has to move past its current mandate. “What we need to do now is to put in place something, an advisory board, like paid positions…Mr Anthony is considering employing people, people on the ground as we are now focusing on writing by children, writing by people whose voices are rarely heard,” he said. The executive editor stated that he has had discussions with the ministry and various stakeholders and within the next few days or weeks there will be a significant “evolution” of the Press.
“The Press has to evolve as it changes and adopts new policies,” said Dabydeen. He noted that during this second phase, the focus will be on writers and will move away from the more hard-line academic publications but added that there needs to be an overlapping of the phases. He said that while phase one occurred provisions had to be in place to make sure that phase two could also begin along with phase three, which will focus on the development of Caribbean publications.
Dabydeen said that to date, over 102 titles have been published with over 40,000 copies distributed. He said that these numbers meant that this is “the largest publication programme in the history of Guyana and possibly in the Caribbean.” He noted that the Press was proud to introduce 20 new publication titles at the launching of Guyana Classics and the newest collection of books by Guyanese authors.
There has been a dialogue created from the recent criticism the Press has received, he said. Dabydeen noted that for the first time in a long time, Guyanese were openly being critical about the arts and it was not to be perceived in a negative light.
Chairman for the evening’s proceedings Gentian Miller stated that to shut down the debate meant that an open partnership would also be shut down. She noted that the ministry had to work with the various stakeholders to fine-tune how the press would move forward.
Dr Anthony noted that the Press has to “remain vibrant.” He said that the various lectures held during the lecture series ensured that workshops were created to further strengthen Guyanese writers and the Press. At Wednesday’s launch, copies of the 20 new titles were given to the University of Guyana, the National Library, the Walter Rodney Archives, Queen’s College, Bishops’ High School and St Stanislaus College.
The 20 books launched are as follows:
The Wild Coast – Jan Carew
Other Leopards – Dennis Williams
Heartland – Wilson Harris
Corentyne Thunder – Edgar Mittelholzer
Black Midas – Jan Carew
The Third Temptation – Dennis Williams
Life & Death of Sylvia – Edgar Mittelholzer
Shadows Move Among Them – Edgar Mittelholzer
A Morning at the Office – Edgar Mittelholzer
The Eye of the Scarecrow – Wilson Harris
The Mysterious Association and the Virtu-Gems – Ashley V. Anthony
Rasta Lyrics – Cedric Castello
The Dumb and the Brave – Churaumanie Bissundyal
National Assembly Speeches Vol 1 & 2 – Janet Jagan
National Assembly Speeches Vol 1 – Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham
An Arawak-English Dictionary with an English word-list – John Peter Bennett
Scholar’s Dictionary and Grammar of the Wapishana Language – Wapishana Language Project
The Lure of the Mermaid and other Children’s Stories from Guyana – Janet Jagan
One Hundred Folk Songs of Guyana – Lynette Dolphin
Cloud of Witnesses – Ian McDonald
