The University of Guyana on Tuesday paid tribute to late author and promoter of the arts, Ameena Gafoor who passed away on Monday.
In a statement, UG said that at her Conferral Ceremony in 2022, Orator, Al Creighton, had said that Gafoor was “a symbol of endurance and enlightenment; a flame providing light, steadfast and persevering, against the persistent force of a prevailing wind.” He added that her life which was well lived, provides a model of “illumination and hopeful victory over darkness in times of adversity.”
According to the statement, the university, even in this moment of her passing, chooses to celebrate an individual who triumphed over humble and difficult beginnings, describing her as a mother, wife, literary critic, researcher, editor, anthologist, cultural activist, creative writer, philanthropist, and social worker.
Gafoor wore many hats, not the least of which was being the founder and editor of the literary academic publication “The Arts Journal”, as well as the founder and director of “The Arts Forum” with a special interest in the visual arts and Indian art. She was a member of the Jury for the Guyana Prize for Literature and has to her credit, four literary publications, including an autobiography and the forthcoming “Bibliography of Guyanese Writers”, which she was making final arrangements for at the time of her passing. She was a feminist critic and a Muslim woman who wrote in the context of Islamic womanhood in Guyana, which is rare and can only otherwise be found in the work of a handful of other Guyanese women.
Meanwhile, the Alliance For Change (AFC) also took the opportunity to extend condolences on the passing of Gafoor.
A release on Tuesday from the AFC stated that Gafoor, a distinguished Honorary Doctor of Letters, writer, and philanthropist, whose life and work have left an indelible mark on our society, will always be remembered for her graciousness and simplicity.
The AFC remembered Gafoor as a literary critic, writer, and philanthropist, whose work has profoundly impacted Guyanese and Caribbean culture. “Her commitment to the arts extended beyond the written word; she also championed the visual and theatrical arts, and her work has inspired and nurtured generations of artists and writers.”
According to the release, Gafoor’s contributions to Guyanese letters are exemplified in her critical study, “Aftermath of Empire: A Critical Introduc-tion to the Novels of Roy Heath”, and her poignant autobiographical work, “A Lantern in the Wind: A Fictional Memoir”, where she explored themes of family, history, and identity with profound insight. It added, “Her writings reflect a deep understanding of our society and the complexities of its history.”
