photo credit: Miriam W. (Scarboro Foreign Missions)
Welcome to PAKARAIMA, the Canadian Guyanese Writers and Artists Association homepage. Known as PAKARAIMA, the Association derived its name from the famous mountain range that encircles the great Roraima mountain, shared by South America’s tripartite, viz. Guyana, Venezuela and Brazil, we are writers and poets who live in Canada and have published works on varied subjects.
Membership is open to Canadian writers with this common heritage and our goal is to help budding writers come together to share their works and experiences as well as receive information on how to get published. We connect through our monthly networking sessions, yearly exposition at the Guyana Festival in Toronto, periodic readings and dinners and we strive to create awareness of the literary talents and niche Canadian Caribbean artistes. Members have submitted works for the famous Guyana’s Literary Awards, as well one member, Roy Singh, was a Finalist in the 2006 USA
BookNews Best Book Award.
Some of our ‘mountains” are accomplished writers and newly published authors, while others are about to get published.
Inspired by the gems of literary laureates like Rumi and Tagore, like Naipaul and Frank Birbalsingh and like Atwood Margaret and June Callwood, PAKARAIMA writers, poets and artists are linking the mountains of the past and present, Caribbean and Canadian and even different cultures and faiths into a single range of potent and successful writers, just here.
We welcome you to explore, enjoy and join us.
Launch of “Pakaraima”(Guyanese Canadian Writers and Artists Association)
with Dinner and Poetry and Short Story Readings
Drenched by the dimming lights and smooth music, was a unique camaraderie inside a popular Caribbean restaurant last Friday night, in Toronto Scarlet Ibis. While the great food could have been on the diners mind and the bar was separate, the attendees, around forty, of primarily Guyanese professionals, gathered for an altogether different reason. Nothing close to a Friday night outing.
It was the Pakaraima’s launch or for a more wordy title- Guyanese Canadian Writers and Artists Association. In attendance was the Honorary Mr. Danny Doobay- Consul General of the Guyana Consulate Toronto. This project, he lauded, was excellent and with the type of leadership on board, with an one year plus of events, including presence at the Guyana Festival, it’s touted to be a success. He himself has been a big supporter of similar ideas and is keen that this time it works.
Providing a forum and lending resources to local Guyanese writers and artists has been the brainchild of Janet Naidu, author of two popular poetry collections, “Winged Heart” and “Rainwater”. Realizing that an earlier group no longer existed, Janet wanted to get something started.
The Pakaraima group meets regularly and discusses ways to publish members’ works and promote the association. Members have submitted works for the famous Guyana’s Literary Awards as well one member, Roy Singh, won Writer of the Year in the US. Secretary of the association, Shirley Najhram, who organized the event, recently published her first children story, “Layers of the Rain Forest”. After the sumptuous meal, all were treated to dessert. It then became an evening of Poetry and Short Story readings from members’ works and a stirring applause from friends and well-wishers present. Roop Misir, executive member, made his Eid and Divali poetry piece quite thrilling. Richard Rupnarine, author of “Guyana Nights”, and Vice-President of the association, entertained the audience with his short story collection and did a labyrinth of Guyana diverse peoples. Janet Naidu, President of the association, read from her latest poetry collection “Rainwater”. MC of the event, Habeeb Ali, executive member, reminisced the audience to a taste of old Guyanese proverbs and read poetry with music. Funds from the event will go towards administering the Association’s website.
Business was brisk that night for booksellers, while attendees expressed their interest to join the association. A larger event is planned for Spring and to participate in the Guyana Festival in June, 2007 in Toronto.
Naidu is pleased with the development of the association and encourages all interested person to become a member of this growing group. Naidu say, “Fostering a group allows us to be supportive of each other’s goals, to bring Guyanese Canadian writers to the fore and to share resources and thoughts about our works, including publishing.”
Contributors: Habeeb Ali and Janet Naidu
http://www.guyana.ro/cricket.htm
http://www.guyanachronicle.com/
http://www.kaieteurnewsgy.com/
http://www.mirrornewsonline.com/
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Hello
Great book. I just want to say what a fantastic thing you are doing! Good luck!
G’night
