The 2019 edition of the Guyana Annual magazine was launched on Saturday and over 30 persons who participated in its literary and art competitions were also awarded for their work.
The launch and award ceremony were held in the Conference Room of the National Library on Church and Main streets, in Georgetown.
Entries were submitted in short stories, poetry, photography, visual art, playwriting and cartooning categories.
During the ceremony, the magazine’s editor, Danielle Swain, revealed that in order to adapt to “the new Guyana,” the publishing team made a few changes to the magazine. She said that they named each competition after outstanding Guyanese creatives, including AJ Seymour, Mahadai Das, Bobby Fernandes, Stephanie Correia, and Bertram Charles, among others. She noted that due to the lack of entries, the David de Caires prize for journalism was not included in this year’s edition of the magazine.
Swain then encouraged companies, especially from the private sector, to contribute to the development of the creative arts in the country. “Do this for your country, your future, your children’s future, Guyana’s future. We need your support and your recognition as worldly and lucrative causes,” Swain stressed, before thanking the sponsors of the magazine.
Entries were received in short stories, poetry, photography, visual art, playwriting and cartooning categories.
Judges of the competition included Joyce Jonas, for the AJ Seymour Prize for Short Story and the Pauline Melville Prize for Open Poetry categories; Elfrieda Bissember, for the Stephanie Correia Prize for Open Visual Arts and the George Simon Prize for Junior Visual Arts categories; Alim Hosein for the Mahadai Das Prize for Open Poetry and the Sheila King Prize for Short Stories for Children; Mosa Telford, for the Bertram Charles Prize for Playwriting; Wellesley Davis for the Bobby Fernandes Prize for Photogra-phy; Subraj Singh, for the Grace Nichols Prize for Junior Poetry; and Paul Harris, for the Hawley Harris Prize for Cartoons.
Scott-Ting-A-Kee, winner of the Open Poetry Category for the second consecutive year said he wasn’t expecting to win a second time. “I am elated and this is the second time that I have won the open poetry competition and to be honest I wasn’t expecting to win again. I thought that there is probably another young emerging voice that’s going to win,” he added. He said both his winning poems were focused on the Chinese Guyanese history, which he believes makes his entries unique.
Daryll Goodchild related that prior to being announced the winner of the Open Short Story category, he didn’t dare to think about winning. “I knew I was shortlisted and I would’ve settled for third or second prize at the time so it kinda floored me when I first found out,” he said.
Gabrielle Mohamed, winner of the prize for playwriting, revealed in an invited comment that her winning entry is the first play she has ever written, which made it even more surprising that she won. She further revealed that she won the third prize in the open poetry category last year.
Mohamed, Ting-A-Kee and Goodchild will be representing Guyana at the Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) next month as part of the literary arts contingent.
Winners: The Guyana Annual Cover Competition – ‘I Told My Story,’ by Kasy Sookram; A.J. Seymour Prize for Open Short Story: First prize – ‘Old Mr Greaves’ by Daryll Goodchild; Second prize – “For Sale: 14-Year-Old Soul’ by Akeesha Giddings; and Third Prize – ‘Finding Faith For Tomorrow’ by Omari Joseph; Mahadai Das Prize for Open Poetry: First Prize – ‘Her Feat’ by Scott-Ting-A-Kee; Second Prize: Papo’ by Tina Puran; and Third Prize – ‘Heartbreak Sonnet #1’ by Akeesha Giddings; Bobby Fernandes Prize for Photography: First Prize – ‘Angel’s Eye’ by Shamar Semple; Second Prize – ‘The Sea and the Sky’ by Aryan Tulsi; and Third Prize – ‘Peace of Mind’ by Chelsia Denny; Stephanie Correia Prize for Open Visual Art: First Prize – ‘Amazonian Monarch’ by Raquel Ferreira; Second Prize – ‘Curiosity’ by Addevi Persaud; and Third Prize – ‘‘Daydreaming’ by Kathleen Henriquo; Bertram Charles Prize for Playwriting: First Prize – ‘Graveyaard Talez’ by Gabrielle Mohamed; Pauline Melville Prize for Junior Short Story: First Prize: ‘Sparrows’ by Analise Samaroo; Second Prize – ‘Love Pon Safety’ by Daniel Dass; and Third Prize – ‘The Attack’ by Naila Rahaman; George Simon Prize For Junior Visual Art: First Prize: ‘Slow and Steady’ by Dhaniram Beepat; Second Prize – ‘Reflections’ by Ameena Mohamed; and Third Prize – ‘Once Upon a Blue Moon’ by Dhaniram Beepat; Grace Nichols Prize For Junior Poetry: First Prize – ‘Puppets’ by Brianna Gopie; Second Prize – ‘Ode to My Country’ by Nusaibah Hosein; and Third Prize: ‘Shea’ by Abike Barker; Sheila King Prize for Short Story for Children: First Prize – ‘Annie’s Adventure’ by Devi Persaud; Second Prize: ‘Learning is fun’ by Sonia Yarde; and Third Prize: ‘Troubling Alien’ by Kathleen Henriquo; Hawley Harris Prize for Cartoons: First Prize – ‘Quiero’ by Vishani Ragobeer; Second Prize – ‘No confidence motion’ by Siddharth Ramessar; and Third Prize – ‘Man Eating Shark’ by Josiah Hooper;
Copies of the magazine are available for purchase at Austin’s Book Store and at Guyenterprise at a cost of $1,000.
