1 9 7 1 ; ▁first ▁as ▁Community ▁Rel ations ▁Officer , ▁later ▁as ▁Public ▁Rel ations ▁Officer . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁Liter ary ▁Co - ordin ator ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁Car ib bean ▁Festival ▁of ▁Arts ▁( Car if esta ), ▁held ▁in ▁Guy ana ; ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁he ▁rejo ined ▁the ▁civil ▁service ▁as ▁Deput y ▁Chair man ▁of ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Culture ▁and ▁Director ▁of ▁Creative ▁Writing . ▁He ▁retired ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 . ▁ ▁Over ▁the ▁nearly ▁fifty ▁years ▁of ▁his ▁career , ▁Se ym our ▁also ▁held ▁senior ▁positions ▁in ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁cultural ▁institutions ; ▁among ▁others , ▁he ▁was ▁Honor ary ▁Secretary ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Gu iana ▁Union ▁of ▁Cultural ▁Club s ▁( 1 9 4 3 – 5 0 ), ▁Deput y ▁Chair man ▁of ▁the ▁Guy ana ▁National ▁Trust ▁( 1 9 7 4 – 7 5 ), ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Gu iana ▁Music ▁Festival ▁Committee , ▁and ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁International ▁P . E . N . ▁Club ' s ▁British ▁Gu iana ▁Centre . ▁ ▁Editor ▁and ▁publish er ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁Se ym our ▁founded ▁K yk - Over - Al ▁( s ometimes ▁sp elled ▁K yk over al ), ▁a ▁literary ▁journal ▁named ▁for ▁an ▁early ▁Dutch ▁fort ▁on ▁the ▁Es sequ ib o ▁River . ▁Over ▁a ▁ 1 6 - year ▁period ▁until ▁ 1 9 6 1 ▁he