Book Publishing and Reprinting of Books

Regis Stella's new novel 2010

Last week we launched a number of great old books during the Buk2Buk Fair staged before the Waigani Seminar at the UPNG campus. The reprints of some of the classics include Sana: Michael Somare’s autobiography, two books written by Amirah Inglis: Karo: The Life and Fate of a Papuan and Not a White Woman Safe: Sexual Anxiety and Politics in Port Moresby 1920-1934, and a number of other books of note to Papua New Guinea. All these books are now on sale at the Unibookshop.

In opening the Buk2Buk Fair, the Pro Chancellor of the University of Papua New Guinea and the Chairman of Univentures, the business arm of UPNG, Mr. Camilus Narokobi, challenged Papua New Guineans to write more books. The establishment of the Univentures saw the amalgamation of the UPNG Press, the Unibookshop and the UPNG Printery come under one business umbrella. It is noted that the book trade business is only one aspect of the Univentures Inc.

Mr. Narokobi wasted no time in announcing that a niche has been created to increase the publishing of books written by Papua New Guineans in all works of life. He encouraged Papua New Guineans to write their histories, publish their researches, and have their philosophies and treatises published with UPNG Press. What was impossible twenty years ago is now possible for many Papua New Guineans to publish their books.

In the first day of the Buk2Buk Fair, Peter Trist an old friend of UPNG and NBC reminded us again that UPNG was the centre of arts, writing, and publishing in the late 1960s and 1970s. The period defined by the vibrant arts, culture, writing, and theatre performances. Trist was involved with the setting up of the National Arts School, the National Theatre Company, and had a lot of impact on the radio drama programs in the 1970s. Many of us remember Peter Trist as the voice of Doriga in our favourite school radio program on NBC in those days.

I first met Peter Trist at Sydney University during a conference on decolonizing Papua New Guinea. We then read Nora Vagi Brash’s famous play: Which Way Big Man. It was a memorable event because among the participants at that time was Sir Paulias Matane (who was not yet the Governor General) and the late Renagi Lohia, then PNG High Commissioner to Australia. We also had the opportunity to visit Ulli and Georgina Beier’s home at that time for a memorable dinner hosted by Georgina on behalf of her husband.

 Peter Trist spoke on behalf of the 88 years old Ulli Beier and his wife Georgina. Ulli was unable to attend because of medical grounds. Trist had those of us present: the second and third generation of artists and writers, thinking in a serious way about the creative potential of this country, its writers, artists, and scholars with untapped talents and skills. The question is how do we develop the arts, culture, and book publishing on our own and go the next step? Some of us have tried and others gave up looking for publishers to get their books into print. The social, political, and economic realities of the 1960s and 1970s were different then. It was only after Independence in September 16th 1975 that the enthusiasm died with writers no longer writing and participating in theatre performances.

Malum Nalum interviews Peter Trist at the Buk2Buk Fair, UPNG

The first day of Buk2Buk Fair had only the guest speakers and a handful of curious students. It appeared the logistics, publicity, and marketing of this event was very poor. Second day began with a clash of events in the same venue. The proceedings of previous the 2008 Waigani Seminar was launched by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Ross Hynes, on the second day. In the confusion someone asked where the about the connection between the Buk2Buk Fair and the Waigani Seminar. UPNG can do better with better coordinated logistics, organization, schedule, publicity, and marketing strategies.

The non-attendance of academics and students on both days leaves much to be desired for an institutional event. Academics must participate in the production and dissemination of information and knowledge through their publications. Publication of research papers and books is the measure of quality academics and programs offered in a university. University education is value added and where that added value is missing serious questions about quality must be asked.

Reprints of law books, history, Papua Pocket Poets, and many others were released this week. The School of Sciences, the School of Medicine and Public Health, and the School of Business Administration launched their new publications. A few serious academics are publishing their researches and course textbooks. What are the rest of them doing?

Dr. John Evans, the Manager of UPNG Press and Bookshop knows the challenges of the book trade in PNG. Under his management we should move forward to a future where our writers and other citizens can benefit from their creative and intellectual labour. We can see more PNG books published in the coming years.

The decision for Univenture to respond to the need for local book publishing, printing, and marketing has a silver lining. It has created an opportunity for publishing and reprinting of PNG books.

The prospect of increasing book publishing volume and the opportunity for writers to earn money from their books is more promising than it was in the past. Having a book published now with UPNG Press means the book is distributed in PNG, the Solomon Islands, and in the world through its agents in USA, Australia, or through the Amazon.com electronic marketing system.

Various small independent publishing ventures are teaming up with UPNG Press to take the book trade business to the next level. Among the small independent self-publishing houses is Manui Publishers set up to publish my own books and those written by others. More details on Manui Publishers are available on my blog: www.stevenswindow.blogspot.com. PNG writers can now seek out the opportunity to publish their books with UPNG Press in this co-publishing arrangement.

Email: sewinduo@gmail.com