Another AG

author

ANOTHER booklet by a New Guinean, this time from Papua, has been brought out by Oxford University Press, Mel bourne. Called Orokaiva, it is written by Mackenzie Jovopa, an employee of the P-NG Ad ministration’s broadcasting sec tion.

Last year OUP brought out the first of a series of small booklets about life in NG by New Guineans. This was Kum Tumun of Minj ( PIM, May, 1967, p. 97) which the pub lishers believed was the first book ever published by a New Guinean. Three others— Under The Mango Trees, Molu of Mendi and Negode of Nab wageta—have been or will be published.

With the help of several photo graphs and a map on the back cover, Orokaiva tells, in simple and very readable English, the story of Jovopa’s life.

Born just before World War II at Orokaiva, near Popondetta, his education at Sangara Angli can Mission School was rudely interrupted by the Japanese in vasion in 1942.

Frightened by the fighting, he hid with his family and villagers until Australian troops re-oc cupied the area. After the war, he went back to school for two years and then became a trainee clerk with the Health Depart ment at Higaturu.

Soon afterwards, Mount Lamington, near Jovopa’s home village, erupted and the young Health Department worker lost his mother and brothers in the eruption.

In 1951 Jovopa was transferred to the administration broadcast ing section in Port Moresby.

The story ends abruptly four years ago, with Jovopa married with five children, and the proud owner of a block of land near Sangara where he contemplated retiring to build a home and be a farmer.—KMcG.

(Stories Of Our People; Oxford

University Press, Melbourne, 30 cents !