Prime Minister Mark Phillips has urged Guyanese writers to take ownership of the nation’s narrative, stressing that literature must reflect the truth, complexity, and lived experiences of its people as the country undergoes rapid transformation.

Speaking at the 2026 Guyana Prize for Literature, Phillips said storytelling is not merely an artistic pursuit but a national responsibility, particularly in a society where much of its history has been shaped by external and colonial perspectives.

“Tell those stories truthfully. Tell them with imagination and skill. Give future readers more than official deeds and public events. Give them private hopes, anxieties, contradictions, and the people who live through this time,” he said.