JIMMY AWAGL
SIMBU Province has come a long way in driving the importance of books for young students. Books are for anyone and everyone. But anyone who ignores books is missing the opportunity to tap into the riches of the world of knowledge.
A book is simply a collection of printed information put together to form a group of related ideas and its origin begins at birth.
As long as we are born into this world, we are born with the ability to create, tell and write a story.
Just like little Tom Kaupa, 13, from Gumine District and his short story entitled A Scary Dream which is being published in the Crocodile Prize Anthology– a big book full of PNG stories and poems to be launched on 18 September in Port Moresby.
Tom’s story was read by Keith Jackson and Phil Fitzpatrick and deemed fit to compete with other established writers.
Additionally, in the same Crocodile Prize competition, we had five students from Rosary Secondary School and 20 students from Ku High School and a number of these entries were qualified to be published in the Anthology.
This effort is due in large part to the recently established Simbu Writers Association and its work to promote literary excellence in Simbu schools.
This is helping to maintain and uphold Simbu literature which was pioneered by the late Sir Ignatius Kiage.
Today we want to read, write, document and publish our own Simbu books. Jimmy Drekore has just published a book of his poetry which will be launched on 8 September at Ku High School to celebrate National Literacy Day.
The Simbu Writers Association is the only association of its kind so far in PNG and Simbu writers produced the highest number of entries in Crocodile Prize competition.
Two Simbu writers won the top prizes this year - Arnold Mundua for heritage writing and Sil Bolkin for essays and journalism.
In future I am sure we will celebrate more of our own books by Simbu writers like Jimmy Drekore, Francis Nii and Sil Bolkin.
One day, you could be the person writing that book - for SWA is here to help you.
SWA is open to anyone to become a member if they have a common interest to promote writing with the theme “write your way to the world”.