Lights on the Horizon- Philip Fitzpatrick

Editing Papua New Guinean writers can be complex because it deals with writers whose first language is usually not English. Editing often fractured English has all the pitfalls of straight translation. The danger is that the unique flavour of Papua New Guinean expression and creativity can be subdued in the process.

Another concerning factor is that, by publishing Papua New Guinean writers from an Australian base, we are repeating the mentorship of Ulli Beier and Brian Clouston in the 1970s in influencing Papua New Guinea’s literary output. That can both distort and even encourage dependency.

There is no easy solution to this problem. The Papua New Guinean government is largely oblivious to the benefits of a national literary culture and doesn’t seem to consider a free and flourishing native literature a good thing anyway. In 2020, despite concerted efforts, the Prime Minister, James Marape, failed to meet with a delegation of writers who wanted to present him with a petition signed by over three hundred writers and their supporters calling for government assistance.

The Crocodile Prize passed to Papua New Guinean management at the beginning of 2016. This followed a successful hosting of the annual awards by the Simbu Writers Association in Kundiawa, the first time this had happened outside the national capital.

Unfortunately, after that date the competition faltered and was finally discontinued in 2018. In its place however, a number of smaller Papua New Guinean competitions have emerged, including one conducted by Ples Singsing, which is managed by a number of writers who were influential during the years of the Crocodile Prize.

Ples Singsing publishes Papua New Guinean writers on its website and is supported by both The National and the Post Courier newspapers. In Australia PNG Attitude also continues to publish work by Papua New Guinean writers.

Writers’ associations may be where the future of Papua New Guinean creative writing rests but they have been slow to develop. Coupled to the advantages of digital publishing and print-on-demand services these groups, if they can achieve strong leadership, may offer another dim light on a distant horizon.

Pukpuk Publications was wound down a couple of years ago and only occasionally publishes Papua New Guinean writers. In its place, however, a number of similar enterprises based in Papua New Guinea have emerged. One of them, JDT Publications run by poet and writer, Jordan Dean, follows the original Pukpuk Publications format. A number of commercial self-publishing companies owned by Papua New Guineans have also been established in Port Moresby.

Meanwhile, Papua New Guinean literary culture struggles onward. So long as the writers write and are published, no matter how and where their books are distributed, even in small numbers, the flame still flickers.

Editor’s Note: This is the last of three instalments of a publication by Philip Fitzpatrick in PNG Attitude. Titles published by Pukpuk Publications may be viewed at the following website:

pukpuk-publications-book-list.pdf (typepad.com)

Writing of contemporary PNG authors may be accessed on the blog:

Ples Singsing – A PNG Writer’s Blog – A space for Papua Niuginian creativity