A decision on the future of the Guyana Prize for Literature is currently with the ministerial plenary that is performing the functions of Cabinet.
Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton, who also has responsibility for the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport, told Stabroek News last Monday that the report of a forum that was held to discuss the issue last November “is at the level of Cabinet.”
He indicated that it was intended that a presentation would be made to Cabinet but a resource person involved in the report, whose presence is considered essential, is overseas-based and, therefore, the presentation had been delayed. The latest call for entries for the Guyana Prize for Literature was launched in January, 2017, with a March, 2017 deadline.
Several persons have since raised concerns about the silence of the organising committee on the status of the competition, with not even a shortlist being provided. Secretary to the Committee Al Creighton, when last contacted on the situation, had related that the competition, including the judging, had been stalled by a lack of funding and that the ministry was being engaged to iron out the issue. However, Creighton had seemed optimistic that the situation would be resolved as he related that there had been tentative dates for the awards ceremony and an accompanying Literary Festival, which he expected will be held before the end of the last year. Instead, a forum to “reimagine” the prize was held.
The forum, which was facilitated by Dr. Paloma Mohamed and the University of Guyana department Philanthropy, Alumni and Civic Engagement (PACE), included participation from cultural activist Professor Vibert Cambridge.
The Guyana Prize for Literature was introduced by the then President Desmond Hoyte in 1987.
