Opportunity for
p. 69 · Read in the full issue
Writers In the Islands
1 NVITING Island authors to sub mit suitable manuscripts for publication, the South Pacific Commission’s Literature Bureau at Cremorne, Sydney, is co-operating with publishers in the production of books in four new series.
The groups are the “Coral,” de voted to Island legends, folklore and fiction; the “Bonito,” for factual historical material: the “Pacific Heritage,” for biographical works; and a technical series aimed at in troducing or teaching new crafts. Commenting on the move, the
Commission’s Executive Officer for Social Development (Mr. H. E.
Maude) said: “I am certain that there are many authors in the Islands who have written, or are capable of writing, work which would be well worth publishing.”
THE first manuscript to reach the South Pacific Bureau was Anare K. Raiwalui’s book of Fijian idioms, Na i Vosavosa e So, which was promptly pounced on by the Oxford University Press and sub sequently received the Australian Book Publishers’ Association award as one of the four best-produced textbooks of 1954.
The Literature Bureau is offering prizes to any territory holding a competition for the best manuscripts.
Papua-New Guinea held a successful
competition last year; Nauru has one under way, and Fiji will hold one next year.
The Nou m e a-based French section will initiate its own series.
Books will be published on a royalty basis, and if necessary can be translated from vernacular languages.
Two books already out in the ‘Bonito” series are The Hiri, by the late Camilla Wedgwood, and Across New Guinea, by Ivan Champion.
Both were published by Longmans Green.
Tf Mr. W. J. Drysdale, Commissioner of Inland Revenue, Fiji, left on July 3 for vacation leave in England. Mr. A. S. Philbrick is acting as Commissioner.