Category: Features

  By Petamber Persaud They Came in Ships Peepal Tree Press in conjunction with the Indian Commemoration Trust of Guyana, 1998 IBSN 0 948833 94 7 304 pages   The book, ‘They Came in Ships’, gives a discerning picture of the sojourn of Indians from India to Guyana, a journey through colonial and post-colonial dispensations. The book also looks into the future of Indians in Guyana, and how they may improve themselves. ‘They Came in Ships’ is an anthology of Indo-Guyanese prose and poetry first published 1998 by Peepal Tree…

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The Beginning As a colony acquired by conquest (from the Dutch) the British reorganized the “Burgher Militia” in 1806, a unit for each of the three colonies – Demerara, Essequibo and Berbice. The Indians that arrived after 1838 met not only a police force, but also an armed militia to keep them in line. The latter lapsed in the 1950s with the entrenchment and expansion of the GPF to monitor and control the Indians on the sugar plantations. In 1878, however, fears of Indian rebellion (after the 1872 uprising at…

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The unstated policy of the state in Guyana throughout the nineteenth century and up to the middle of the twentieth was, “what’s good for sugar is good for British Guiana”. There was more than a kernel of truth in the popular saying that “B. G.” stood for “Bookers Guiana”, after the largest sugar company “Bookers Bros”. The entire state apparatus was geared towards the protection of “King Sugar”. The Indians that fought for their rights on the plantations were therefore indirectly going up against the power of the state. From…

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U.S. based-Guyanese fine artist Dudley Charles’ work is an expression of events and images encountered in his life, reflecting the multicultural, multiracial society of the old and new world. It is his practice to work loosely on a floor, cutting and re-arranging materials on his canvas. Using wood, dust, paper, pulp and acrylic gel, he creates a textured effect that moves between figuration and abstraction. As his inspiration, he draws upon a spectrum of cultural influences from his native Guyana, the Caribbean, South and North America. Armed with these images,…

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  East Indian women cast off plantation tradition The first arrivals in 1838 on the sailing ships, Hesperus and Whitby, numbered 396, of whom only 22 were women. They lived in logies with poor sanitary conditions throughout the indenture period. Children and young women worked on sugar plantations in the ‘weeding gang’ and later in the ‘task gang’ or ‘creole gang’, earning poor wages. In the late 1940s, women would leave their babies at the Estate crèche and go to work in the fields. They would also carry their babies…

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By Venessa Deosaran Guyana Times Sunday Magazine spoke with Of Note Magazine’s editorial director and founder, Grace Aneiza Ali, also a professor and prolific writer who has never forgotten her Guyanese roots despite living among internationally renowned writers, artists and activists. Below is an exclusive interview with Ali, who tirelessly promotes artists through her online magazine which features artists using their work for global social change. Sunday Magazine: In Guyana, where did you grow up? What were some fond childhood memories here? Grace Ali: I grew up in Georgetown, on…

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By Venessa Deosaran  The U&Me organisation, located in Linden, aims to help reduce the many afflictions faced by persons stricken by poverty, those affected by HIV/AIDS/STIs and to help persons in areas of abuse and other social issues, empowering them to lead better lives. The organisation was founded from its president, Neil Whyte, appreciation for the community of Linden. He readily offered to help in whatever way he could and in December 2001 held a Christmas party for needy children and shared food hampers to many families. From then on,…

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An inspiring grandmother compiles her favourite childhood stories into books for granddaughter By Venessa Deosaran Overseas-based Guyanese author of children books, Norma Gangaram has published over twenty one books with the aim of penning all the stories she heard as a child and passing these on for future generations to appreciate. In an interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, the writer said she was born in Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara. She clearly remembers her home facing the Demerara River and the beauty of it. She attended Diamond…

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Rhona Fox is a dynamic U. S. based-Guyanese actress living her dreams in the glitzy world of Hollywood By Venessa Deosaran Born in Essequibo, Rhona Fox is an accomplished actress, producer and editor in the U.S. who is very proud of her heritage. In an interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, Fox said she was raised all over Guyana. Her father was a high school principal and his specialty was upgrading school systems so her family moved around a lot. Her mother was also a teacher and as a result,…

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