Former Kaieteur News Editor Michael Jordan wins Guyana Prize for Literature’s Best Book of Fiction

Mar 03, 2024 Features / Columnists, News, Waterfalls Magazine

Former Kaieteur News editor and popular Guyanese journalist, Michael Jordan

Waterfalls Magazine – Former Kaieteur News editor and popular Guyanese journalist, Michael Jordan on Friday night won the Guyana Prize for Literature in fiction category for his book “The Girl in the Pink Pleated Skirt”. Jordan who was known for his reporting during Guyana’s crime wave novel is “A gripping tour de force of murder set in Guyana.

Other winners of the prize include First Prize for Non-fiction went to Etherine G H Adams with her entry “The Few Among the Many: Women’s Labour in British Guiana’s Jails”.

Ruth Osman copped first place for Best First Book of Poetry with her entry “All Made of Longing”. Harold Bascom received the top award for Drama, winning with “Unfounded” and Samir Mohammed walked copped the First Prize for Short Stories with his entry “The Lighthouse at the Bottom of The Sea” and third place in the Boy’s Poetry Category with his poem “Shadows in the Sand”.

The announcement of the winners of the Prize was made at the National Culture Centre, Georgetown by subject Minister Charles Ramson Jr. and Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d), Mark Phillips.

Meanwhile, the work of the authors will be on display at Guyana Prize for Literature Festival which kicked off on the 29th of February and is set to culminate on Sunday, the 3rd of March Literature at the Castellani House.

Guyanese Author and co-organiser of the Guyana Prize for Literature Festival, Ruel Johnson said the event is a significant platform for seasoned and budding writers to gain exposure, connect and enhance the creative industry.

“The Guyana prize festival is often a platform for greater things, it provides affirmation of literary talents particularly for emerging talents who might be unsure of whether they got it or not and if these highly regarded, very qualified judges say yes, your work is good that in itself is a critical boost for their moral. So, the idea is to have the visitors connect to the literature that is being produced here by Guyanese” Johnson emphasised.

“It is not just about accolades, it’s a spirited convergence of literary enthusiasts. It also features writing workshops conducted by renowned Guyanese writers as well as captivating presentations of Guyanese literature,” he added.

The festival also caters to an array of engaging activities for children such as writing training and face painting among others.

The centrepiece of the event is the Guyana Prize for Literary Awards, a prestigious ceremony geared at recognising the exemplary works of Guyanese in the categories of fiction, drama, poetry, and creative non-fiction.

Moreover, the festival has been extended to embrace youths, with awards in poetry and short story categories.

Johnson said the transition from a mere award ceremony to a comprehensive literary festival underscores the government’s broader vision of honouring exceptional writers, nurturing and connecting emerging talents with the wider Guyanese society.

In addition, Johnson hinted at future expansion plans for the festival.

“What we are going to look at is having bridging events in between prizes. You have writing workshops that we can push out to the region instead of having merely a centralised one-off event over the life of the Lit Fest.”

The event is entirely free of cost, thanks to the significant investment made by the government of Guyana.

The only exception is the play, which has a nominal fee attached. This fee not only supports the performers but also contributes to the growth of the creative industry.