It can be used as a weapon, a useful tool, a heart-warming balm.

With the pen, history is documented, feelings of the heart are poured out, sacred memories are kept, culture is spread, knowledge is shared, humankind is empowered.

Guyanese have a rich heritage of which Literature is an integral part. This country has produced famous poets and novelists such as Martin Carter, Professor David Dabydeen, Grace Nichols, John Agard, Oona Kempadoo and Wilson Harris.

It is imperative that Guyana's rich literary landscape be pruned and made to flourish in magnificent glory.

Though the country can boast some recognised literary artists, who have had their work published by overseas publishing houses, very many talented Guyanese writers dwell in dungeons of inconspicuousness.

Many of them lack the financial means, institutional guidance and formal training to strengthen the quality of their writings and opportunity for having their work published.

One Guyanese who has taken up the mantle for ensuring that local writers scale the walls of obscurity is Petamber Persaud. He is an independent television producer who started a programme titled Oral Tradition earlier this year. The production is broadcast on GTV Channel 11every Wednesday at 17:50 hrs and rebroadcast on Friday at 08:00 hrs.

In an interview with the Sunday Chronicle Persaud said that he has been writing since he was at secondary school and has completed three novels. However, these and most of his other work remain unpublished.

He believes that a lack of institutionalised editing, publishing, workshops, packaging and marketing in Guyana has hindered himself and other locally based writers from having their work published.

He has now shifted his focus to arousing the interest of stakeholders, civil society and the government in cranking the Guyanese literary machinery to top speed.

"Oral Tradition is an adventure into the world of Guyanese literature and a public relations campaign for the Guyanese writing industry," Mr. Persaud said.

He explained that Oral Tradition or Oral Literature is a genre of literature that is responsible for preserving cultural expressions such as song and dance, poetry, prose, religious rituals, historical texts, languages and dialects and imparting them for guidance and enjoyment.

In addition, Mr. Persaud said that his programme is intended to stimulate interest in and maintain focus on Guyanese writings and to update the viewership on the state of Guyanese literature.

Oral Tradition started by examining the present state of literature in Guyana. According to a guest on the programme, literary critic and Secretary to the Guyana Prize Management Committee, Al Creighton, literature is "somewhat struggling." Novelist, poet and columnist Dr. Ian McDonald believes that one way to boost the ailing industry is to get children to read and to love reading early in order to prepare them to write properly later.

Mr. Persaud added that Professor David Dabydeen echoed the call to read well and avidly to produce quality writing and to find innovative ways to market the work.

Oral Tradition also noted that the Association of Guyanese Writers and Artists is frequently publishing anthologies of prose and poetry; The Upscale Guyana Restaurant `open mic’ poetry evening is a weekly outlet for uncensored poetic expression. Upscale also hosts a monthly Poetry Slam competition; Michael Scanlon of the United States Embassy started a project to prepare literature in audio form for the visually impaired; the Janus Young Writer's Guild is guiding budding poets by conducting poetry workshops and readings and Winner of the Commonwealth Short Story Competition 2002, Dennis Nichols, Phil and Cheryl Winters in association with United Nations Children's Fund (UNESCO) took creative writing to schools.

As Mr. Persaud heightens his campaign to bolster Guyanese literature, he is starting a new programme called Between the Lines. The production will take a deeper look at Guyanese literature, by focusing on novels, anthologies, poetry, dissertations and other forms of writings.

The programme will not only serve as a forum for exposition of the work but will provide analysis and review or the writings.

Also, Petamber Persaud's Oral Tradition in collaboration with the National Library was scheduled to host a symposium on Guyanese Literature on Thursday last.

The caucus was held at the National Library Conference Room and catered for 80 persons. The core issues billed for discussion were The State of Guyanese Literature, The State of Gender in Guyanese Literature and Copyright Laws.

"I'm merely a facilitator," Mr. Persaud said, adding that he is as concerned about Guyanese literature as he is about his own work.

"We need meeting places and performance venues, the establishment of writers' workshops and the publication of a monthly literary magazine," Mr. Persaud suggested.