Guyana Prize for Literature 2024 winners announced on March 1

The winners of the Guyana Prize for Literature 2024 were announced in a ceremony in Georgetown on Friday, March 1, 2024.

The Guyana Prizes for Literature were initially founded to promote the development of local literature by President Desmond Hoyte in 1987. Prizes were awarded biennially in categories including best book of fiction, best first book of fiction, best book of poems, best first book of poems, and best play. After a hiatus, the prize came back with Ken Puddicombe winning in the fiction category in 2023.

For 2024, the prize included a full-on literary festival with storytelling, panels, book readings, book launches, masterclasses, workshops, plays, keynote addresses, a poetry slam, and loads more. Some of the featured guests were Celeste Mohammed, Michael Jordan (journalist and writer, not retired athlete), Amrita Naraine, Ruel Johnson, Natasha Azeez, Carleen Gill-Ker, Imam Baksh, Chevon Lim, Rawie Gibbons, Denise de Caires, Naraih Gurnah, Dr Lisa Outar, Prof Eddie Greene, Prof David Dabydeen, Dr Lisa Outar, Prof Funso Aiyejina, Dr Richard Georges, Prof Evelyn O’Callaghan, Eugene Williams, Petamber Persaud, and many others.

The award ceremony of the Guyana Prize for Literature Festival was hosted at the National Culture Centre, Georgetown with Minister Charles Ramson Jr. and Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d), Mark Phillips among the special attendees. The winners in the evening were;

Fiction:

• The Girl in the Pink Pleated Skirt, Michael Jordan

Nonfiction

• The Few Among the Many: Women’s Labour in British Guiana’s Jails, Etherine G H Adams

Poetry

• Not Quite Without a Moon, Ian McDonald

Best First Book: Poetry

• All Made of Longing, Ruth Osman

Youths Poetry

• Lotus Flower Story: The Woman, Reneka Anand

Drama

• Unfounded, Harold Bascom

Short Stories

• The Lighthouse at the Bottom of The Sea, Samir Mohammed

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