“I owe everything to Guyana” – David Dabydeen on Nobel Prize nomination

David Dabydeen: Guyanese-born broadcaster, novelist, poet, and academic. His words carry such weight that they tip the scales, nudging the needle toward the Nobel Prize in Literature.
The Nobel Prize in Literature is a Swedish award, presented annually to an author from any country who has, in the words of Alfred Nobel, “in the field of literature, produced the most outstanding work in an idealistic direction.”
He was formerly Guyana’s Ambassador to UNESCO from 1997 to 2010 and was the youngest member of the UNESCO Executive Board, elected by the General Council of all Member States of UNESCO.
Across the world, Dabydeen’s work has earned accolades and recognition that reflect the breadth and depth of his literary and intellectual impact.
In 2004, he was awarded the Raja Rao Prize for Literature, an honour reserved for writers who have made an outstanding contribution to the literature and culture of the South Asian diaspora – a nod to his ability to navigate history, identity, and memory with unmatched skill.
His third poetry collection, Turner: New and Selected Poems (1994), led to his recognition as one of Britain’s twenty “New Generation Poets”, celebrating the country’s leading living voices. The eponymous poem, “Turner”, was even adapted into a ballet by Italian choreographer Mattia Mantellato, bridging the worlds of literature and performance art.
These accolades are a mere tip of the iceberg, yet they illustrate why he has recently been nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Speaking to this publication, the novelist shared his feelings upon being nominated:
“The rays of praise”, the scholar added, “were not shone on me but rather directed to the very soil in which I grew up – Guyana.”
From his perspective, all of his inspiration comes from Guyana itself, and thus he must give thanks to God for this.
“No, I don’t see this moment as gratitude for myself… I really don’t see it for myself – not because I’m modest, but because everything I write about is on Guyana. I owe everything to Guyana. Without Guyana, I wouldn’t have a subject, and I wouldn’t have imagery. My immediate instinct when I found out that I was nominated was, “Thank God for Guyana.”
Carrying a flaming torch of talent and expertise is not something he foresees doing alone. In his view, carrying on his legacy means sharing his flame with other writers so they can carry the mantle as well.
On this note, he offered several tips for writers in Guyana honing their craft. “It’s a matter of reading, continuing to read to see how other writers craft their novels or poems. In other words, if you’re learning, for young writers, you’re almost like an apprentice, and then when you find your own voice, it’s just a matter of persisting, persisting in your writing. And also, really importantly, taking criticism seriously.”
There is an indescribable feeling that comes when the ball of the pen strikes across every page that Dabydeen writes – one that he says those who are not writers may not fully understand.
“I mean, put it this way. When I finish writing a page, I’m happy that whether you have money in your pocket… It doesn’t matter… It doesn’t matter what’s going on in the world… I can be so happy [just] because I’ve completed a page, and that’s strange for people who are not writers to understand… Just a little page, which is 480 words, 500 words, can make a human being happy.”
The Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded 118 times to 122 laureates between 1901 and 2025.
Among Dabydeen’s many accolades, he served as Guyana’s Ambassador to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) from 1997 to 2010. He worked closely with Mrs Carmen Jarvis, General Secretary of the Guyana UNESCO Office, to raise hundreds of millions of Guyanese dollars for various educational programmes, including projects at the University of Guyana.
As Guyana’s Ambassador to China (2010–2015), he persuaded the Chinese government to establish and fund a Confucius Institute at the University of Guyana, which, since 2014, has taught Mandarin to hundreds of students. In 2011, when the government sought to sell its minority shares in GT&T, it initially received an offer of 7 million USD. Dabydeen was asked to explore whether any Chinese companies were interested. After 18 months of negotiation, he secured an offer of 30 million USD, payable in two instalments, or 35 million USD, payable in five instalments.
“Negotiating was relatively easy for me since I spent about 14 years as chief fundraiser for the Centre for Caribbean Studies at Warwick University,” Dabydeen said, having obtained over one million USD from individuals and educational bodies for scholarships, conferences, and fellowships.
While a professor at Warwick, Dabydeen gathered a team of 50 scholars worldwide to write introductory essays for the Guyana Classics book project he created and managed entirely voluntarily. From 2009 to 2014, the project reprinted and republished 83 volumes on the history and culture of Guyana, making it the largest book publication programme in modern Guyana.