Fern Ridge (Safla Rama) Digest

Writer My late Kandre, Vincent Warakai, a robust scholar and intellectual, left a lasting impression on me as a Papua New Guinean with this poem “Dancing Yet to the Dim Dim’s Beat”, which was first published in Ondobondo , a literary magazine of the Literature Department of UPNG in the 1980s, when I studied Literature as a degree program. The poem was later republished in Albert Wendt’s Nuanua: pacific writing in English since 1980s , making it one of the most powerful pieces to have been written by a Papua New Guinean since Independence.  Below is the poem: Dancing Yet to the Dim Dim’s Beat We have been dancing Yes, our anklets and Amulets now are Yes, grinding into our skin No longer are they a décor Yes, they are our chains We have been dancing Yes, but the euphoria has died It is now the dull drumming Yes, of the flat drums Thud dada thud da thud dada thud Yes, it is signaling, not the bliss But the impending crisis. It is th

Illustration on Classroom Wall at Lese Oalai Primary School Today is the closing day for the celebration of the National Book Week 2018 throughout Papua New Guinea. The National Book Week was launched on Monday 06 th August 2018 in Kerema, the capital of the Gulf Province.   The Minister of Education, Hon. Nick Kuman, MP officially launched the event in Kerema Town. In attendance was the Vice Minister of Education, Hon. Chris Nangoi. Minister Kuman acknowledged the Gulf Province for hosting the official launch and closing of the National Book Week in 2018. He acknowledged the participation and celebration of the book week among schools with the support of their teachers and parents. He also acknowledged the importance of promoting local writers in PNG. More needs to be done to promote PNG writing.   So what must be done to spur and grow a local writing development. Governor Chris Haiveta and Gulf Regional MP was on hand to welcome his brother Ministers and