Guyanese literature has been produced by a number of authors, most of whom write in the English language. Many Guyanese-born writers have emigrated abroad.
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The first book written on Guyana, by Sir Walter Raleigh, was The Discoverie of the Large, Rich, and Beautiful Empyre of Guiana (With a Relation of the Great and Golden Citie of Manoa (Which the Spanyards call El Dorado) and of the Provinces of Emeria, Aromaia, Amapaia, and Other Countries, with Their Riulers, Adjoyning (Robert Robinson: London, 1596).
One of the earliest and most famous Guyanese authors was Edgar Mittelholzer, author of Corentyne Thunder. His works often deal with issues of interracial relations, particularly the strain between European and non-European Guyanese.
Famous authors include E. R. Braithwaite author of To Sir, With Love, Roy Heath, author of the Georgetown Trilogy and The Shadow Bride, Wilson Harris author of 'Palace of the Peacock', David Dabydeen and Michael Gilkes (writer). Heath, Harris and Dabydeen now live in Britain, while Gilkes lives in Barbados.
They were succeeded by a new generation of writers from the 1980s onward, including Beryl Gilroy, John Agard, Cyril Dabydeen, and David Dabydeen.
Martin Carter is considered Guyana's greatest poet.
Michael Abbensetts is a noted playwright.
Vincent Roth wrote A Life in Guyana.
In recent years, Pauline Melville has written The Ventriloquist's Tale, Oonya Kempadoo has written Buxton Spice, and Sharon Maas has written Of Marriageable Age, Peacocks Dancing and The Speech of Angels.
The famous and influential intellectual Walter Rodney was Guyanese. His most important book was How Europe Underdeveloped Africa (1972). Travelling and teaching widely he was a proponent of Pan-Africanism and a supporter of the downtrodden. Rodney returned to Guyana in 1974 and was active in the opposition movement, leading to his assassination in 1980.
The Guyana Prizes for Literature were founded by President Desmond Hoyte in 1987, with a view to promoting the development of local literature. Prizes are 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. The Guyana Prizes are managed by a Committee consisting of a number of University personnel, and the Chief Librarian of the Guyana National Library.
Winners have included Wilson Harris, Fred D'Aguiar, David Dabydeen, D. Gokarran Sukhdeo, Pauline Melville, Ian McDonald,Cyril Dabydeen and Ruel Johnson.
Previous winners: Fred D'Aguiar, Grace Nichols, Ian McDonald.
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2006 | Elly Niland |
| 2006 | Ryhaan Shah |
| 2006 | Cyril Dabydeen |
| 2006 | Mark McWatt |
| 2006 | Michael Gilkes |
| 2004 | Fred D'Aguiar |
| 2004 | David Dabydeen |
| 2004 | Paloma Mohamed |
| 2004 | Ian McDonald |
| 2004 | Berkley Semple |
| 2002 | Michael Gilkes |
| 2002 | Stanley Greaves |
| 2002 | Ruel Johnson |
| 2000 | David Dabydeen |
| 2000 | Paloma Mohamed |
| 2000 | John Agard |
| 2000 | Raywat Deonandan |
| 2000 | Maggie Harris |
| 1998 | Pauline Melville |
| 1998 | Gokarran Sukhdeo |
| 1998 | Dennis Craig |
| 1998 | John Agard |
| 1998 | Paloma Mohamed |
| 1996 | Grace Nichols |
| 1996 | Denise Harris |
| 1996 | Fred D'Aguiar |
| 1996 | Harold Bascom |
| 1994 | Harold Bascom |
| 1994 | Fred D'Aguiar |
| 1994 | Mark McWatt |
| 1992 | David Dabydeen |
| 1992 | Ian McDonald |
| 1992 | Michael Gilkes |
| 1989 | Martin Carter |
| 1989 | Roy Heath |
| 1989 | Brian Chan |
| 1987 | Janice Shinebourne |
| 1987 | Wilson Harris |
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