In her honor, the National Library has launched a reading challenge. The competition which Thompson initiated last year, has now been named after her. The National Library has revealed that through ‘The Gillian Thompson Reading Challenge,’ it is endeavoring to honor her for her sterling contribution to the promotion of reading. The library has stated that “during her years as Chief Librarian, Thompson worked tirelessly to promote literacy in Guyana.” Thompson chose competitions as the medium through which this could be accomplished and throughout her tenure had introduced the Champion Readers’, Quiz, Debating, Essay and Short Story competitions.

Last year, she introduced the Reading Challenge competition for patrons of the Adult Department of Central Library. The library noted that since that was the last activity Thompson initiated to encourage reading among the library’s clientele, it was considered most fitting to remember her own enthusiasm for reading and the innovative ways she found to encourage others to read.

The library has said too that the challenge is viewed as a method to empower participants with the aptitude to progress from avid readers to budding writers; foster in participants a lifelong love for reading; develop in readers the ability to critically appraise an author’s work and to empower individuals to become living sources of information. The challenge also aims to encourage persons to read for pleasure as well as assist in the promotion of literacy in Guyana and boost membership.

The challenge is open to two categories of participants, male and female, who are members of the National Library, located at Main and Church Streets in Georgetown.

Participants will be categorized as young Adults (14 to 18-years-old) and adults (persons above 19-years).

The library said that the competition will run annually, from September 1 to October 31. An orientation session will be held with participants and judges on September 24 to discuss important matters pertaining to the competition.

Participants will be required to read four books selected by the National Library within the specified time and prepare themselves for the written and oral segment of the competition. The written segment is expected to focus on several literary aspects of the novel, and submissions are expected to be made before the date of the competition.

In the written segment, the participants will be required to read the four specified books and discuss, explain or analyze aspects of the work such as characterization, theme, author’s craft, plot, language and style as determined by the judges. While for the oral segment, the participants will be required to engage in a group discussion led by a panel of judges on various aspects of the works they have read; for example, theme conflict, character relationships and setting.

Three winners will emerge from each category and they will receive a monetary award, a trophy and a book. The winners with the highest points in each category will have their names inscribed on The Gillian Thompson Reading Challenge Shield which will be displayed in the library.

Last Christmas Eve, Thompson, 47, was killed by a speeding car at the corners of New Garden Street and North Road, Georgetown.

Following her demise, 24-year-old Odida Underwood was charged with causing her death by dangerous driving. Underwood was granted $500,000 bail, and was also fined $20,000 for driving without a license, $35,000 for driving a vehicle without insurance and $30,000 for driving a vehicle without the consent of the owner, with alternative jail sentences for each. He managed to pay those fines and the case for cause of death by dangerous driving is ongoing.”