Networking in the Pacific
Linda Crowl, Robyn Bargh
and Liliane Tauru
Contact email: pacific-publishers@lyris.spc.int
For a couple of centuries, publishing concerning the Pacific
Islands had been developed and promoted in Europe or the US. The writers,
the publishers, and even the readers were largely foreign to Oceania.
Few opportunities existed for indigenous Pacific peoples to tell their
own stories through their own publishing, an opportunity essential to
supporting the writing and perspectives of indigenous Pacific peoples
in both local and foreign languages, so that Pacific voices can be heard
within and around the world.
Since 1994, Pacific Islands publishers have begun
a process of strengthening linkages among book actors in the region
through activities that encourage the growing literature of indigenous
content and titles. They have organised book fairs of their own and
in conjunction with other events such as the Australian Book Fair in
1996 and 1998, the Salon du livre d'outre-mer in Paris since 1998, and
the Festival of Pacific Arts in 1996. They have also worked with international
bodies such as UNESCO, which sponsored a workshop in 1998 on Creating
a Reading Environment. Education officials from 13 Pacific Islands countries
committed themselves to surveying book provision in their own state
(the findings have been published as Book Provision in the Pacific
Islands, UNESCO and Institute of Pacific Studies, 1999); fostering
national book policies; and working towards regional co-operation in
book matters.
In 1999, a conference of the South Pacific Association
of Literature and Languages (SPACLALS) was held in Suva, Fiji. At the
conference, there was a panel discussion on Pacific publishing; the
panel was Robyn Rangihuia Bargh from Huia Publishers, New Zealand; Marjorie
Tuainekore Crocombe from Rarotonga and Linda Crowl from the Institute
of Pacific Studies in Fiji.
A year later, Robyn Bargh, Linda Crowl, Liliane
Tauru, and book people from Hawaii, Samoa, New Caledonia and other island
countries discussed ideas at the 8th Pacific Arts Festival in Noumea
in a workshop on Pacific publishing.
The dialogue led to the creation of a network
of actors to promote the development of the publishing industry in the
Pacific region. The following main objectives were proposed:
1. develop successful publishing business units
employing indigenous Pacific people, in each Pacific island nation;
2. strive to publish works which convey the stories, images and dreams
of indigenous Pacific peoples using their own languages or the lingua
franca; and
3. create a network of publishing business units which will enable indigenous
Pacific peoples to share experiences, knowledge and skills.
An initial step has been taken with the creation
of an email discussion list. This list is hosted by the Pacific Community
(www.spc.int) and is open to all Pacific publishers as well as to related
professions. To send a message, the address is: pacific-publishers@lyris.spc.int
The next step will be to participate in Australia's
or New Zealand's book fairs in 2002, then to host a book fair in the
islands in 2003. Given the small and under-educated populations of the
Pacific Islands, separated as they are by vast oceanic distances as
well as by 1200 indigenous and four colonial languages, book fairs are
essential to foster communication among professionals and to share the
joy of books with the general public. We hope to establish Pacific Islands
prizes for publishing, writing, illustration, and marketing and to offer
workshops on significant topics for Pacific Islands publishers. [end] [BPN,
no 28, 2001, p 3.]
^^Back
to top
Return
to table of contents for BPN Newsletter 28, 2001>>